Disney Central
by AnimationNut
Summary: Modern AU. Disney Central isn't a normal school, especially with high schoolers and elementary kids in the same building. Antics and pranks occur daily. Mulan masks as a male to get on the football team, Peter and Wendy are a pranking duo, Rapunzel is out of her element, Alice keeps losing her cat and much more. It's just another day at Disney Central.
1. A New Day, Another Long Year

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**So yes, this is a Disney School fic. The characters introduced here will be the main characters in the elementary school storyline, and next chapter will introduce the characters for the high school storyline. There will be pranks, antics, and very little romance.**

**There will be many Disney characters, and if you want to see a particular one, review and I'll see what I can do. There are a lot of Disney High fics out there so hopefully I can make this one different from the rest. As it is a modern AU, some characters will be OOC in some aspects, but hopefully not too much.**

**Anyway, please review!**

**A New Day, Another Long Year**

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The insistent trills of the alarm clock eventually roused the ten-year-old boy from his slumber. With a groan, he rolled over in his hammock and stared blearily at the clock that rested on the hardwood floor by his large, curtain-covered window. The red numbers informed him that it was seven-thirty. Now, normally, he didn't have a problem getting up early.

But for the next ten months, that was going to change. Today was the first day back to school.

"_Mowgli!" _his guardian bellowed, about a minute after continuous _beeping _as the boy lazily swatted in the alarm clock's general direction. "Turn that blasted thing off before you wake the whole neighbourhood."

"Exaggeration," he called back tiredly.

But he got up and jumped from the hammock that served as his bed, strung between two poles that were nailed to his floor. Yawning, he shuffled over and kicked the black alarm clock, sending it into silence. His dark gaze then strayed to his worn out backpack, which had been abandoned in the corner since school ended two months ago.

_"Mowgli!"_

"I'm coming!" he shouted. Knowing he couldn't linger any longer, he went over to his bamboo dresser and removed a pair of tan shorts and a bright red T-shirt. He got dressed, did a quick check of his backpack to ensure that he was relatively prepared and headed for the kitchen.

"It's about time," remarked Bagheera. The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder, momentarily taking his attention away from the pancakes that were cooking in the pan.

Mowgli collapsed into a wooden chair, his chin resting on the tabletop. "The timespan between my alarm going off and me getting ready was no more than five minutes."

"Let's see if we can shave that down."

The boy eyed Bagheera warily. Even after ten years of living with the math professor, he still had difficulty discerning when he was making a joke. "Yeah. I'll work on that. Where's Baloo?"

Bagheera snorted. "Where do you think he is?"

"If he can sleep until eight, why can't I?" Mowgli whined.

"Because you _walk _to school. That means you need to get up earlier in order to get there in time. Also, Baloo is an adult who can make his own decisions."

"When can I make my own decisions?"

Bagheera pretended to mull this question over as he scooped the finished pancakes onto a plate. "When I believe you can make _good _decisions."

Mowgli stabbed a pancake from the plate with his fork and ate it, not bothering with the butter or the syrup. "Is this about the time I ran away and stayed in the forest for three days before you found me? Cause I was three then."

"You were seven and I almost had a heart attack."

"Baloo thought it was funny."

"Someone needs to have a disciplinary bone to ensure you don't go off the deep end."

"Doing a good job so far," complimented Mowgli, for Bagheera was one of the strictest people he knew. Baloo, on the other hand, was a barrel of fun. He was laid-back, relaxed and was cool with almost everything. He and Bagheera had been roommates in college and, despite their conflicting personalities, remained that way after graduation.

The intercom by the door suddenly buzzed, indicating that someone was in front of the gated apartment building. Knowing who it was, Mowgli hastily swallowed his breakfast and rushed to the door, planting his finger on the _respond_ button. "Hey, Shanti."

"_And Ranjan!" _a small voice piped up.

Mowgli grinned. "And Ranjan. I'll be down in a sec."

"_We'll be waiting."_

Mowgli raced into the bathroom, where he hurriedly brushed his teeth, before darting back out and to his bedroom, snagging his backpack. He went over to the door and shoved his bare feet into his favourite sandals. "Bye, _Professor._"

Amused, Bagheera finished putting the dishes into the sink and turned. "Behave today."

"Don't I always?" Mowgli asked innocently.

Before his guardian could respond he hurried out the door and down the five flights of stairs. He burst outside, the morning sun momentarily blinding him. When his vision cleared, it was to see his best friend leaning against the metal gate that prevented her from venturing onto the property.

"Shanti," greeted Mowgli. He joined his friends on the other side and the trio began the trek to school. "Ranjan."

"Hi, Mowgli!" Ranjan said cheerfully. "Are ya ready for school?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Mowgli snorted.

"He doesn't like school very much," Shanti informed the seven-year-old. "He's not smart enough for it."

Mowgli shoved her good-naturedly. "I'm plenty smart. I just don't like doing the work."

"I like school," said Ranjan.

"Hey, I did too when I was in the second grade. Wait until you move up. It gets less fun as the years go on."

"Don't listen to him, Ranjan. Are you excited for school?"

As the boy launched into an excited rambling, Mowgli lazily kicked a stone along the cement. He'd been friends with Shanti for as long as he could remember, as she lived across the road from his apartment complex. Ranjan moved in a few years back, and since they were the only kids in their area they hung out together.

"What do you think the teacher line-up for this year is?"

Shanti's question brought him from his thoughts. He glanced at the raven-haired girl. "No idea. But if we get Bagheera for math, I might just fling myself off the roof."

A smirk curled across the girl's face. "That'd be a sight to see. Let me know when you plan on taking flight. I'll come and watch."

"Thank you, for your support."

…

Sofia wandered down yet another random corridor, her bright blue eyes squinting ahead. Her purple school bag hung loosely over her right shoulder, she was dressed in a pair of jeans, white flats and purple blouse, and her short brunette curls fell gently against her neck. She was all ready for her first day of second grade.

The only problem was that she couldn't find her way to the front door.

Once upon a time, she lived in a small house in the countryside with her mother. Now she lived in a grand mansion with twisting staircases, dozens of marble corridors and hundreds of rooms. All because her mother remarried one of the richest men in Central Disneyville.

Not that there was anything wrong with Roland. He was nice enough, he made her mother happy, and he had even given her a purple amulet as a 'welcome to the family' present. The purple stone rested against her chest on a gold chain, as she had promised she would always wear it, even if it was a bit much to wear such an extravagant piece of jewelry to elementary school.

Speaking of school, she was going to be late if she didn't get out of this maze she now called home.

"I should have waited for James," she moaned, pausing in the middle of a corridor and dropping to the floor in frustration.

As a result of her mother's marriage, she had gotten new siblings as well as a new father. James and Amber were nine-year-old twins that lived the life of royalty. All they knew were designer clothes, butlers, maids, cooks, chauffeurs and complete luxury. The spoilt nature had only affected one of them, however.

Amber Kingston, the blonde-haired princess of the Kingston Estate, made it perfectly clear that she was not at all happy by this arrangement. In comparison to her, Sofia was clumsy, awkward and, in her exact words, a commoner. Despite the bitter attitude, Sofia remained polite and kind, even though it was difficult. But she would only have to deal with the girl a few hours every day, as the twins attended a prestigious private school the next town over.

"Maybe, one day, we'll get along," she said to herself, idly staring at the multiple artifacts that decorated the corridor. She made a mental note never to play ball in the house. She had a feeling nothing in the place was worth anything less than ten thousand dollars, at the very least.

She climbed to her feet and started off again. After twisting through a few more corridors, she finally came upon a spiralling marble staircase that was familiar to her. She hurried down to the foyer and went over to the large closet that was situated by the front door. She shoved her feet into a pair of scuffed sneakers and headed outside, where she found her stepsiblings waiting.

"Um…hi," she greeted, a bit confused. From what she was told, James and Amber left at seven every morning to get to school. She cast a quick glance at her watch, which read eight o'clock. "What's up?"

"We're going to school with you," James said cheerfully.

For the first time, Sofia noticed they weren't wearing uniforms. James wore a green polo shirt and black dress pants. His sister wore a glittery yellow sundress with matching flats. The girl was currently giving Sofia a glare of hatred.

"Oh! Neat. Um, why the change?" Sofia asked, shuffling her feet awkwardly as she tried to avoid Amber's burning glower.

"Father decided that public school would be a good experience for us," explained James. "So he transferred us."

"Thanks to _you_," hissed Amber.

"Er, I didn't mean for this to happen," Sofia said carefully. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's good. I always wanted to go to public school. Our old school was a bit too stuffy anyway."

"That was class," snapped Amber, glaring at her brother. "We were among our people."

James waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever."

"Hello, children!"

The three glanced up to see Roland striding down the stone steps with Miranda, Sofia's mother, following behind. Roland beamed at them. "Excited for your first day?"

"Heck yeah!" James exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"I _would _be, if we were going back to where we belong," Amber said snidely.

"You'll have fun, Amber," assured Miranda. "Sofia will be happy to show you around."

Sofia smiled. "Yeah."

"I'll be fine," said Amber, not returning Sofia's smile. "It's only elementary school. Where _are _we going, anyway?"

"Disney Central," informed Sofia.

Amber wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound like an elementary school."

"Well, it's an elementary school and a high school combined," said Sofia. "There are a lot of students and teachers, and we all share one building."

"You mean I'm going to be in the same vicinity as _public high schoolers_?" Amber cried, as if this was the most horrible thing that could ever happen to her.

"Not exactly," Sofia hurried to reassure her. "The kids in grades one to eight learn in the elementary wing. The high schoolers learn in a separate wing."

"But the buildings are connected, right?" Amber demanded. At Sofia's nod, the girl scowled. "So they could come to our wing whenever they wanted."

"Well, they could," agreed Sofia hesitantly. "But they're not allowed to. There's a principal and vice-principal for each wing, and they are really strict on students who cross over."

"Don't worry Amber," Roland said, smiling encouragingly at his daughter. "You'll get used to your new environment."

Amber gave a stiff nod, knowing that no amount of arguing or pleading would change his mind. Not this time. Casting another savage glare at her unwanted stepsister, she stalked over to the limo and climbed in without a word.

"Bye Father," James bid and hurried after his sister. "Come on, Sofia!"

"Bye honey." Miranda waved. "Have a good day."

"I will. Bye!" Sofia blew a kiss and went over to the limo. She sat on the leather seat beside James, shut the door and leaned back, enjoying the air conditioning flowing from the vents.

_Well, I guess this is what they call riding in style._

…

"I don't wanna go to school!"

The whine came courtesy of Wendy Darling's youngest brother Michael. The small boy thrashed about in his chair, flinging scrambled eggs every which-way. Wendy heaved a sigh and picked up a cloth, wiping smears of ketchup from his face. Despite the fact he was seven, he often acted like a toddler, which she supposed was her fault. At fourteen, she wasn't very grownup herself, often indulging her brothers with fantastic tales of pirates and mystical creatures.

Heck, she still lived in the nursery-by choice.

"Michael, school isn't so bad," John said, glancing up from his book to peer at his brother. "You get to learn new things and play with friends."

"Yeah, I bet Ranjan will be happy to see you," Wendy added. "You didn't get to see each other much this summer."

"I guess," agreed Michael hesitantly. "I just wish I could stay home and play with you all day. Now you won't even be in the same part of the school as me."

"I'll still be in the same building. So if there's ever trouble, I'll be right there."

"Wendy, what have I said about coddling your brothers?"

Wendy flinched at the sharp voice. "Sorry, Papa." She dropped the cloth and went to retrieve her backpack. "I was only trying to make him feel better."

George sat down at the kitchen table and Mary handed him a plate of breakfast food. "He will be fine. He needs to learn to take care of himself."

"But I want Wendy to take care of me," protested Michael.

"Wendy's your sister, not your nanny. You shouldn't depend on her for everything. You all need to grow up sometime." George unfurled the morning newspaper, signalling that the conversation was over. Mary sent her children an apologetic glance and shooed them off to school.

"I hate it when he says that," muttered Wendy as she started across their front yard. "I don't want to grow up."

"He's just cranky this morning," said John, taking Michael by the hand as they crossed the road. "We ran out of coffee yesterday."

"Coffee isn't the only reason for his bad mood. It never is." Wendy frowned and stared glumly at her blue sundress. "He doesn't understand me."

"There, there." John patted her arm. "Soon we'll be at school and you'll forget all about this."

The light brown-haired girl perked up considerably. In a matter of minutes, she would be starting the ninth grade with her best friend, the one person who was as childish and fun-loving as she was.

"What are the chances Peter Pan has already pranked your new principal?" John asked.

Wendy grinned. "Very good, but I hope he waited. I wouldn't want to miss anything."

…

"I can't believe summer is already over," groused Simba.

Nala glanced at her golden-skinned best friend. "Well, with only two months of vacation and ten months of school, it's bound to feel short."

"It should be illegal to have so much work and so little fun." Simba sighed. "I mean, we're only in the sixth grade. Do you know how many more years of school we have left?"

"Six," she answered promptly.

Simba's face fell. "I didn't expect it to be _that _much longer."

"Well, it's going to be more, considering college. But the years on that differ."

Simba dropped down on the curb, glaring down the street. "I just want to get this first day over with. Where's Zazu?"

"Why can't we walk to school like all the other kids?" Nala asked. "I mean, Mowgli and Shanti are a year behind us and _they _walk every day."

"It's because we skipped school when the circus came to town, remember? The school called and our parents threw a fit. I got grounded for six months. I finally got scot-free two weeks ago."

"Oh yeah," Nala recalled, her sapphire eyes widening with remembrance. "We're gonna have to wait at least a year before we're fully off the hook for that one."

"Dumbo came with us," said Simba with a wide grin. "Man, _that _was a shocker. Never expected him to tag along."

"Dennis," corrected Nala with a slight frown. "His name is Dennis."

"I think you and Bambi are the only ones who call him by his given name," said Simba in amusement. "The guy never opposed it before. Besides, I don't use it because I'm making fun of him."

"Because Dumbo isn't offensive at all," drawled Nala sarcastically.

"_He _knows I'm not making fun of him. He's a cool dude."

The honk of a horn startled Simba to his feet. A bright yellow car rolled up to the two sixth graders and Nala winced. "I really wish he would get a new car," she whispered.

"I hate riding in the Banana Mobile," moaned Simba. "It's so embarrassing."

The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a man with a beak-like nose, sharp black eyes and black hair that always had a few pieces sticking up in the back. "Simba, you shouldn't sit on the curb. It's dangerous."

Zazu was an old friend of Simba's father, Mufasa. He'd been around since Simba was born, and since Nala had been best friends with him for as long she could remember, much of her time was also spent with the strict, no-nonsense man. He taught computer science and African Studies at Disney Central, so ever since the Circus Incident he'd been driving them to school. As his subjects were geared for the high-schoolers, Simba and Nala didn't see much of him at school, which was fine with them. As much as they loved their constant babysitter and confidant, he cramped their style too much.

"Hey, Zazu," greeted Nala as she and Simba climbed in the backseat. "Excited to teach moody high-schoolers?"

"Almost as much as I'm ready to teach energetic toddlers," shot back Zazu. "Having you two in my class is going to make my hair turn grey."

Nala and Simba stiffened. "What do you mean?" Simba asked slowly.

Surprised, Zazu turned around to peer at his charges. "Your father didn't tell you? There's been a bit of a shift in who teaches what subject this year. I've been saddled with elementary geography in addition to my usual classes."

Nala and Simba exchanged agonized glances when Zazu turned back around.

"This is going to suck," moaned Simba softly, sinking in his seat. "And the first day hasn't even _started _yet."


	2. High School Never Seems to End

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**High School Never Seems to End**

"_Andrina! I have to get to school!"_

"So do I! That's why I'm getting ready. Buzz off!"

Ariel Triton glowered at the closed bathroom door, fists clenched at her sides. She debated on resuming her hammering before deciding that it wouldn't do any good. Andrina would only linger to annoy her. Huffing in annoyance, the fifteen-year-old redhead spun on her heel and stormed for the kitchen.

"Daddy, why do I have to be the youngest?" she complained, dropping into the kitchen chair situated across from her father.

Trevor Triton glanced up from the newspaper. Ariel could make out amused black eyes and a smile from the massive white beard that dominated his face. "It's not funny," she insisted. "It's not easy being the youngest and having six older sisters."

"As you keep telling me over the years. I'm afraid that's how it worked out."

"Not in my favour." Ariel pouted. She glanced at the microwave clock and groaned. "Flounder is going to be here any minute!"

Just as the words left her mouth, the doorbell rang. Ariel sprang up and hurried for the door, swinging it open. Her blue-haired best friend took in her frustrated expression and tangled bedhead. "Sister hogging the bathroom again?"

"Andrina, as always." Ariel stepped aside to let him in. "But it isn't as bad as it used to be. It helps that Attina, Alana, Adella and Aquata are off to college. Four down, two more to go."

"You're almost there." Flounder dropped his bag onto the floor and rummaged through it. "I figured this would happen and I don't want to be late for my first day of freshman year."

"Hey!" Ariel cried indigently. "I don't want to be late either."

"You hardly care about punctuality." Flounder grinned. He finally found what he was looking for and pulled it out. It was a plastic bag, containing a brand-new hairbrush, a packet of floss, a bottle of moisturiser, a pack of extra-minty gum, a compact mirror and lip gloss.

"Is that…?" Ariel asked breathlessly.

"Emergency grooming kit. It covers everything except one thing. But you can use the school toilet for that."

"I love you!" Ariel squealed and snagged the bag. She planted a kiss on his cheek and hurried to her bedroom to finish getting ready.

Flounder shook his head, a faint blush on his cheeks. He kicked off his yellow sneakers and headed into the kitchen. "Hello, sir."

"Flounder," greeted Triton. "Are you ready for your first day of high school?"

"Little nervous," admitted Flounder. "But I'm excited to be in the same part of the school as Ariel again. It was a long year without her."

"Funny," mused Triton. "I find that the time spent _with _her drags on."

_"Not funny!" _Ariel's shout drifted from down the hall.

"Ears like a hawk," he grumbled, going back to his newspaper.

A minute later Ariel came back with her pink backpack. "How do I look?"

Flounder took in her green jeans, purple T-shirt and white flats. Her long red hair hung loosely down her back and bright blue eyes glittered at him. "Perfect."

"You're just saying that because you have too."

"That I am."

Ariel rolled her eyes with a smile. "Let's get going. Bye, Daddy!" She kissed his forehead.

"Bye, sweetheart. Have a good day. Show Flounder around."

"I will!"

The two teens headed for the front door, the redhead pausing only for a moment to crane her neck to peer down the hallway.

"She's _still _in the bathroom. Unbelievable."

…

Cinderella shuffled her feet at the end of her long driveway, squinting down the road. Before long the familiar yellow vehicle chugged down the street and paused in front of her, the doors squeaking open. "Hey, Fillmore," she greeted, climbing the steps.

The twenty-first century hippie man grinned lazily at her, his beaded black hair clacking together as his head swayed. "Morning, darling. Ready for school?"

"Extremely," she responded.

She shuffled down the aisle, sending 'hellos' and 'how are yous' to her fellow peers as she passed them. Eventually she found Belle, her head buried inside a book as always. She dropped down beside the girl and heaved a sigh, leaning against the torn material of the bus seat. "Man oh man, am I glad to be back."

"Rough summer?"

"It's always rough."

Belle lowered her book so that she could get a good look at her best friend. "They didn't make you clean the chimney again, did they?"

Cinderella snorted. "None of them are going to do it. But it wasn't so bad. I only ruined one shirt. The pants were salvageable. Good thing too, considering I barely get an allowance."

"Your stepmother is evil."

"Right out of the fairy tales," she agreed. "But not as bad as Snow's stepmother. _She _is a psychopath."

"Everyone has a messed up relative." Belle closed her book and put it in her bag. "Just two more years until you're out of there."

"I'm going to ride whichever scholarship I get to the farthest city."

"Speaking of rides, would it really kill Anastasia and Drizella to give you a lift? They have their own car."

"Hey, I'm cool with it. I get to spend the ride with you. You're cool. They're bitter and mean."

"Jealous of your beauty," agreed Belle. "But I admire the patience you hold with them."

Cinderella shrugged. "I've been living with them and Stepmother since I was five. I've learned and adjusted."

The bus screeched to another stop. Belle glanced out the window and her hazel eyes grew wide with the utmost horror. _"No!"_

Cinderella jerked her feet up in surprise as the brunette practically dove under the seat in front of them. Before she could question what the matter was, the answer strutted onto the bus. Cinderella hastily yanked a binder from her bag and opened it, ensuring that her face was blocked. After a tense minute, she peeked overtop and sighed with relief.

She gave Belle a nudge with her foot, signalling that it was safe. Belle climbed back into her seat, her eyes not leaving the back of Gaston's head. "What is _he _doing here?!" she hissed. "He should have graduated at the end of last year!"

Cinderella shot her friend a look. "Do you really think that Gaston would graduate just like that? He's an idiot."

"I thought I was free," she moaned, falling to the side and allowing her head to rest on Cinderella's shoulder. "He's going to keep on stalking me, like he's done since sophomore year and I was a freshman."

"You've survived this long," Cinderella soothed, patting her hair comfortingly. "Don't worry about it."

"Hard not to, when he stares at my butt every chance he gets."

"I'm in the same boat as you, sister."

The voice came from the seat behind them. Belle sat up and kneeled on the seat, looking over the edge. "Hey, Malina. Don't tell me _he's _coming back?"

The raven-haired, Aztec descendent nodded tiredly. "He's twenty-two and he keeps going for it. At this point, he's not aiming for a diploma. He's aiming to get in my pants."

Cinderella screwed her nose up. "Ew."

"That's what I say." Malina crossed her arms. "I don't know whose worse-Gaston or Kuzco."

"It's a tie," decided Belle. "They're both hormone-crazed pigs. Why can't we have nice boys come after us? Aurora got Phillip and Jane got Tarzan. What's wrong with us?"

"You think you got it bad?"

The three girls turned to stare across the aisle, where Tiana was watching them with a blank expression. "Naveen's back as well."

Belle and Malina exchanged glances.

"She wins."

"Totally."

…

"I expect better performance from you this year, Mulan."

The sophomore resisted an eye roll and glanced up from her cereal. "Yes, Baba."

"Try to see if you can join a club or two," continued her father. "It's good to be involved in the school community. It reflects well on resumes and college applications."

"I'll try," agreed Mulan. _Not very hard, _she added silently.

While they were many clubs and teams at Disney Central, there were none that jumped out to her. Besides, if her parents wanted her to get better grades, then she was going to need to focus her time on that. Though she didn't understand what was wrong with the grades from her freshman year. A few _C's_ were healthy. It's not like she'd gotten a _D_ or anything.

"I have something for you, dear."

Her grandmother walked into the cozy kitchen, one hand behind her back. Curious, Mulan abandoned what was left of her cereal and stood up. "What is it?"

Grandmother Fa revealed a small, wooden cage. Inside was a blue cricket, chirping uncertainly. Little Brother, Mulan's pet dog, jumped up and tried to sniff the new creature.

"You're scaring it," his owner chided, gently urging him away. "Um, why did you get me a cricket?"

"For luck of course." Grandmother thrust the cage into Mulan's hands. "Your freshman first day didn't go so well."

"Hey!" Mulan protested. "It's not my fault Little Brother followed me all the way to school…and did his business on Principal Jafar's shoe."

"Let's try not to have any incidents this year, shall we?" Fa Li said gently, handing a bagged lunch to her daughter.

"I'll do my best." Mulan stared at the cricket in her hands. A pair of rather large black eyes peered back at her. "I've never seen a cricket like this before."

"That's why I chose it," Grandmother said cheerfully. "The weirder it looks, the luckier it is."

"If you're mine, you're going to need a name." Mulan thought for a moment. "How about Cri-Kee?"

The little insect didn't appear to oppose the name. Zhou shook his head in amusement. "Very original."

"I think it's clever," defended Mulan.

A honk sounded from outside, indicating that her ride was here. Mulan grabbed her backpack, gave Little Brother a pat goodbye and hurried outside. A bright red sports car idled in the driveway and the occupants waved at her.

"Hey, guys." Mulan swung herself into the backseat. "Phillip, have I ever told you how awesome you are for giving me rides?"

"Many times. But I never get sick of hearing it." Phillip cast a smile over his shoulder.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "You need to stop inflating his ego. It's big enough already," she joked.

"Am I making another stop?" Phillip asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

Mulan shook her head. "No. Pocahontas is still riding her bike to school."

"I admire her dedication to protecting the environment," said Aurora. "But sadly, I'm much too lazy to make such an effort. I'm a horrible person, I know."

"At least you _walk _to school some days," pointed out Phillip. "You're not the one driving a gas-guzzling machine."

"I will be soon. I just need to get my licence."

Mulan shook her head. "I'll stick with carpooling, thank you. Gas money I can afford. A new car? Not so much."

Aurora turned around to speak to her friend properly, only to notice a wooden cage resting in her lap. "Uh…is that a cricket?"

"Yup." Mulan lifted the cage so the blonde beauty could get a better look. "My grandma gave it to me. It's for luck. Cri-Kee, meet Aurora and Philip."

"Cri-Kee?" Phillip echoed in bafflement. "That's the best you could do?"

"It's clever!" Mulan insisted.

"You know you can't have pets in school, right?" Phillip asked.

"I'll keep him in my locker or backpack or something. Besides, it's only a cricket. I'm not the one losing my cat every other week."

"Well, Alice is a bit odd. Sweet girl and everything, but definitely odd," Aurora said. "I remember when Hercules had to help her get her cat out of the big tree in the courtyard."

"Then he got stuck," laughed Phillip. "Eric had to go get Mr. Phil."

"Good times," sighed Mulan.

"Oh, hey!" Aurora suddenly exclaimed, leaning over Phillip to wave out his window. "It's Anna! Hey Anna!"

The strawberry blonde-haired girl jolted in surprise at being addressed. Phillip slowed the car down and Aurora beckoned the girl over. Anna scurried across the street and smiled. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"You want a ride?" Aurora asked. "We got air conditioning."

"Please." Anna moved around the vehicle and climbed in the backseat beside Mulan. "Thanks a lot."

"At your service," said Phillip.

The car moved again and Anna settled against the seat. Her gaze went to Mulan and she opened her mouth to greet the girl. Then she caught sight of the cage.

"…is that a cricket?"

…

"Dear, are you sure you have everything?"

Rapunzel sighed in exasperation. "Yes, Mother, I'm sure."

Not satisfied, Gothel opened up her daughter's backpack and started rifling through the contents. "Binders, pencils, pens, erasers, bandages, tissues, your lunch-"

"I'm going to be fine!" she insisted, gently taking her backpack from her mother's hands. "Really."

"Public school is a frightening place. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm turning seventeen this year. I don't want to spend my life cooped up in here. I want to see the world. I want to meet people my age."

Gothel pursed her lips. Rapunzel was a well-behaved child who never asked for much. So after years of pleading, she finally caved (against her better judgement) and enrolled her at Disney Central. "Stay away from boys, don't be afraid to tell a teacher if someone starts bullying you and if you change your mind, just get the office to call and I'll come pick you up."

"Yes, Mother."

She headed for the door, but her mother's voice caused to pause with her hand on the brass knob.

"Are you _sure _you want to take the bus? I don't know the driver, and I'd prefer if I-"

"Mom, _please_," Rapunzel groaned. "Riding the school bus is, like, one of the ultimate school experiences."

"Okay," said Gothel hesitantly. "Have a good day. Be careful. Make some nice, good friends."

"I will. Bye, love you!"

She bolted out of her house before her mother could continue her fretting. She supposed she understood, considering she'd been homeschooled all her life. Her mother was severely overprotective, believing that the world was full of evils.

"Finally," she breathed, walking to the curb and spotting the bus chugging her way. Her heart pounded with excitement. She would be going to a real school, with kids her own age, learning subjects that _she _wanted to learn and not ones approved by her mother. "This must be what freedom feels like."

The bus rolled to a stop and the doors opened. She put a smile on her face and boarded, her green gaze flickering over the multitude of teens and kids lounging in the ripped vinyl seats. Some gave her curious looks, but most ignored her.

She walked nervously down the aisle, trying to find someone she could sit with. She came upon a girl with long, curly brown hair. "Hi," she greeted shyly. "Can I sit here?"

The girl stared at her with a bored expression. "I guess."

"Thanks." She sat down, putting her backpack between her feet. "I'm Rapunzel."

"Meg," she introduced herself curtly.

A moment of silence passed before Rapunzel attempted to make conversation. "So, is Disney Central a good school? It's my very first day of public school."

This caught Meg's attention. "Seriously?" she asked, eyes wide with disbelief. "Geez, I couldn't stand being homeschooled."

"It's a bit suffocating, but I guess it wasn't entirely bad. I just wanted some freedom, so here I am."

"If school is your idea of freedom, then you really do need to get out more." Meg crossed her arms and shook her head. "But Disney Central is a decent school, I guess. When you put elementary kids and high school kids in the same building, stuff's bound to happen."

"Are the teachers nice?"

"Most. But there are some jerks in the batch as well. For the first few days, just sit in the back, keep your head down and stay silent until you get a feel for them."

"Is that what you did?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

Meg laughed. "Heck no. I egged Professor Frollo's car within the first week. He still hates me. Thinks I'm a scarlet woman."

"…what's a scarlet woman?"

Meg studied her in amusement for a moment before saying, "Never mind. How old are you?"

"Sixteen. But I turn seventeen in a few months."

Meg clucked her tongue. "A sophomore, then."

"Are you a sophomore, too?"

"Nope. I'm at the top of the ladder. Seniors all the way."

"Oh." Rapunzel could not help but feel disappointed. She had hoped that the friend she made on her trip to school would be in the same grade.

"If you're worried about someone showing you around, they always give transfers a guide for the first week. Whoever you get will be in the same grade as you. Don't sweat it."

"Oh, okay." Her face brightened. "I'm glad."

Meg finally allowed her gaze to focus on the yards of blonde hair that tumbled over the girl's shoulders and down past her waist. She fingered a golden strand and arched an eyebrow.

"Have you _ever _had a haircut before?"


	3. Freshmen Meat

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Freshmen Meat**

"It's a mad house."

Dennis 'Dumbo' Jumbo could not help but agree with his friend's statement. He and Bambi Deerson were standing on the slope that dipped down to the main path that led to the school. Problem was, the path was packed with students, elementary kids and high school teens fighting to get to the main office so that they could pick up their schedule for the semester.

"I knew we should have come early," groaned Bambi. He brushed his auburn hair from his large, brown, doe-like eyes. "We're gonna be out here forever."

"You think they'd work out a better system, especially considering the student populace." Dumbo scanned the horde of students. Teachers had milled out to oversee the process, and to make sure no one got pummelled for skipping ahead of the line.

A waving hand caught his attention and Dumbo nudged his friend. "Look, its Simba and Nala."

"They're at the end of the line," Bambi observed. "I guess we better join the rush."

The two freshmen went down the slope to join their former elementary peers. "Hey, underlings," greeted Bambi jokingly.

Simba snorted. "Hey, you're underlings too. Freshmen equals fresh meat. The seniors will grind you down before your first class."

"If we ever make it to class," Nala added, glancing at the watch strapped around her wrist. She blew her pale blonde hair away from her eyes. "We've got about a half hour until first class, whatever it is."

"For you, maybe. We got the freshman assembly to go to. Then we have to find our classes. And lockers. Man, we're _never _getting to class." Bambi groaned. "I knew I should have spent those extra ten minutes in bed."

"Well, I didn't want to risk being late. It's not a short walk to get here, you know," responded Dumbo.

"Wait, wait! You get to _walk _to school?" Simba demanded.

Bemused, Dumbo nodded. "Why shouldn't I?"

"That is so not fair." Nala scowled. "After the whole circus deal, we're not allowed to walk to or from school."

"Really? Huh. All Ma told me was not to do it again."

"That's it?" Simba asked. "No grounding?"

"No. I guess she understood how much I loved the circus. Besides, it's not like I ever pulled a stunt like that before, so she just gave me a warning."

"Your mother is awesome," muttered Nala. "Our parents are squares."

"I warned you lot," said Bambi. "I told you it was a bad idea."

The line suddenly inched forwards and Simba threw his arms out dramatically. "We _moved! _Praise be!"

A chorus of chuckles came from his shouted exclamation and Zazu, who was among the patrolling teachers, shot the boy a stern look. Simba shrugged innocently in response.

A shout suddenly came from the west parking lot. _"Freshmen this way! Freshmen over here! Freshmen follow the sound of my voice!"_

"That'd be us. Good luck." Dumbo and Bambi waved to their sixth-grade friends and followed the group surging towards the parking lot. When they got there it was to see a tall, raven-haired teenager wearing a long purple skirt and white shirt. Hoop earrings dangled from her ears and beads hung from her neck and wrists.

When a decent amount of freshmen squeezed in between the cars, the girl clapped her hands together. "Alright! My name is Esmeralda. I've been roped into helping to get you started. I was on my way to biology, too. Do you know how rare it is that I get to class early?"

She got a few giggles. "Good. You know how to laugh. This will make this a bit easier." She bent down and hefted up a bunch of papers from the cardboard box lying by her feet.

"These are your schedules. Due to the freshmen welcome assembly in the cafeteria, you won't be expected in your first period class." She paused for a moment and surveyed the chaos happening on the front lawn. "Actually, I don't think _most _are going to be expected at their first class."

"You'd think they could mail these things out or something. But no. We gotta do things the hard way," whispered Bambi.

"So," continued Esmeralda. "I'm gonna call your name (sorry if I butcher it) and you can proceed to the cafeteria, which is conveniently through those doors." She pointed down the parking lot towards a set of double doors. "All good?"

"Yes!" the group hollered.

"Perfect. Let's get the ball rolling. Um…Tinker Bell. Girl, that's a pixie name right there."

"She looks like one, too," muttered Bambi.

A small, delicate, blonde-haired girl wearing a strapless green dress moved to the front of the crowd. She snagged her schedule from Esmeralda, cast a quick glance over her shoulder, scowled and practically stormed off.

Bambi chuckled. "Looks like Pete's neglecting her again."

"I don't think he means too." Dumbo eyed Peter Pan and Wendy, who were quietly conversing with each other at the back of the crowd. "But he's been friends with Wendy forever. Tink transferred from Fairy Heights Academy two years ago and has been obsessed with him ever since."

"Don't know when she'll take the hint. They're not exactly in the same league. She's all about shopping and looks and popularity and he's…not."

"Bambi Deerson!"

"Whoops, that's me. Be right back." Bambi hurried over to the girl, got his schedule and hurried back. "I'm gonna find Flower and Thumper and be back. We can compare schedules."

"What about Faline?" Dumbo said teasingly.

Bambi turned red. "She'll be with Tink," he muttered before scurrying off.

Dumbo chuckled. His friend had been crushing on Faline since the first grade. But he never had the guts to speak to her. It also didn't help that Ronno kept harassing Bambi every time he got even a few feet too close to her.

By the time he got his schedule (he admired her effort to keep from looking at his rather abnormally large ears) Bambi and the others were there waiting.

"Freshmen year, baby!" Thomas 'Thumper' Hopson cheered. His left foot tapped against the cement madly, as it often did when the boy got excited, nervous or frightened.

"I'm a little nervous," admitted Flower Forester. "We'll be with a bunch of strangers."

"Alice is still in the seventh grade," said Thumper innocently. "What strangeness do you see?"

Bambi shot his friend a withering look. "You are so hilarious," he said sarcastically.

"Just sayin'." Thumper shrugged.

"We'll be fine," assured Dumbo. He held up his schedule and the others put theirs up against his to compare. "Look, we have English and chemistry together."

"But there's two classes that I don't have with _any _of you," cried Flower, dismayed.

"Hey, you know the people in our year," reminded Thumper. "We've been with them since the _first grade_."

"I guess," agreed Flower hesitantly. "But what if someone makes fun of my hair? Or my name?"

Admittedly, the blue-eyed boy had the odd (and completely natural) hair colour of onyx black with a random white strip going down the middle. The name Flower was rather ironic, considering his hair had the appearance of a skunk. But when you had modern hippie parents like Flower did, you were bound to get a 'groovy' name.

"Don't listen to them," said Bambi matter-of-factly. "Now let's head to the cafeteria and see if we can get some seats together."

The group joined the others pouring through the double doors. The high school wing was a carbon copy of the elementary wing they were so accustomed to, the only difference being that the high school wing was larger and had three floors instead of two.

They entered the cafeteria, where all the tables were pushed to the sides of the room and dozens of chairs were in neat rows. Bambi, Dumbo, Thumper and Flower managed to snag four seats in the middle row. As soon as Dumbo sat down, a sudden pain in his left ear caused him to jump and whirl around to face the person behind him.

"Hey, Dumbo," greeted Peter. He wigged his fingers teasingly, indicating he had been the one to flick the boy's ear. "Long time no see."

"Come now, Peter," chided Wendy. "That was a bit mean."

"Aw, I didn't mean anything by it." Peter looked at Dumbo with earnest brown eyes. "You know that, right?"

Dumbo could not help but laugh. "I'm not as sensitive as I was in the third grade. I know playfulness when I see it." He flicked the red feather hanging from Peter's trademark green cap. "And you, sir, are the king of playfulness."

Pleased, Peter settled back in his chair. "I am, aren't I?"

"So, what's the prank plan?" Thumper turned around to join the conversation. "I don't think I can handle the suspense."

Peter winked and tapped the side of his nose. "We got a little something planned. But it's a surprise."

"It'll happen at lunch," supplied Wendy helpfully. "Hopefully, no one will know it was us. Papa won't be pleased if I get in trouble on the very first day."

"Yeah, he already thinks I'm a bad influence." But Peter did not seem to be bothered by this. "Can't have him forbidding you to see me."

The cafeteria doors on the other side of the cafeteria swung open and a tall, slender, imposing man walked purposefully to the front of the room. Everyone immediately went silent, as there was a rather cold presence that drifted from him. He stood in front of the microphone, surveyed the gathered students for a moment and then spoke.

"Greetings, freshmen students."

The empty tone in his voice reminded Dumbo of his previous elementary principal, James Hook. Neither seemed to be very content to be in charge of so many students, but he supposed it was difficult considering the amount of pranksters there were at Disney Central.

"I am Principal Jafar. If there are problems you feel a professor cannot handle, you will come to me. However, it had better not be a petty problem. You are freshmen now, and you will be expected to work things out before running to an adult to help you."

"I sincerely doubt anyone will go running to him," muttered Peter, causing Wendy to giggle softly.

"Vice Principal Iago," Jafar indicated a short man with bright red hair and beady black eyes standing off to the side, "will help oversee you lot. If a professor reports you to him, then you will go to him. As for rules, they do not differ from the ones you already know. But I will reiterate the most important ones.

"You will not cross over to the elementary wing. You will see your former peers after school, and unless given a note by a professor, there is absolutely no need for you to venture across the building."

Peter elbowed Wendy and smiled reassuringly. "Don't listen to him," he whispered. "We'll pop by to see your brothers whenever you want."

Wendy beamed.

"This week is the only week you will be excused for being late to classes," continued Jafar. "After that, you will be expected to know the layout of the school, or at least the parts you need to know for the near future. You will mind your professors and the rules each one holds for their classroom. Tryouts for various teams and clubs will be held over the next few months. Posters will advertise places and dates.

"You have fifteen minutes before your second class starts. This should be enough time to find it. Seniors know the consequences of harassing a freshmen, and if any initiation occurs report it at once. You are dismissed."

A soft murmur rippled through the cafeteria as the group talked amongst themselves, getting up from their seats and heading off in search of their first class.

"Well, this is where we part," spoke Bambi, staring at his schedule. "We all have a different first class."

Seeing Flower's panicked expression, Dumbo offered, "I can help you find your class, Flower."

"Thank you," the boy said in great relief. "But what about our lockers?"

"We'll find them after second period. More time to search then. We'll see you guys next class." Dumbo and Flower then set off down the hallway.

"I guess I'm off. Wish me luck. I got math." Thumper screwed his face up in distaste and went in the opposite direction.

Bambi stood for a moment, trying to figure out which way _he _should go, when someone shouted his name. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Flounder hurrying towards him. "Hey, Flounder."

"Hey, Bambi. What's your first class?"

"History with Professor Cogsworth," replied Bambi.

"Perfect! You're with me." Flounder grinned at him. "Ariel said she'd meet me by the office and help show me to class. Want to come?"

"Please."

The two made their way to the main office building. It was still packed with students, but it seemed to be the tail-end of the mob that was gathered before. A redheaded girl was lingering by the office door and she brightened upon spotting them. "Flounder!" She hurried over to them. "And…" She snapped her fingers. "Don't tell me…hold on…Bambi!"

The boy smiled. "You got it."

Ariel grinned. "I always do. So, what's your first class?"

"The both of us have Professor Cogsworth for history," informed Flounder.

"Second floor, room number 256," recited Ariel promptly. "You got your new student cards?"

Both boys held up the slim plastic cards that had accompanied their schedules. The silver writing, which stood out against the purple background, stated their names, the grade they were currently in, and a small photo of their faces.

"It sucks that they use the previous year's picture," mused Ariel, eyeing her own card. "But I guess they don't have a choice. We kind of need them right away."

The trio went over to the doors that led to the high school wing. They joined the line of people that were filing past the security booth, flashing their cards to the guard to validate they were indeed high schoolers and not crossing over.

"Aren't you going to be late?" Bambi asked as the girl led them up a flight of stairs.

"I've got Professor Baloo for philosophy," dismissed Ariel. "I'm golden."

She brought them down a few corridors before stopping in front of a door, which was labelled 256 in gold numbers. "Here's the low down. He's strict, no-nonsense, but very fair. Just don't be late or have a horrible excuse for not doing your homework. Overall, he's a nice guy. Nothing you need to worry about."

"A high compliment from the girl who acquired an impressive amount of detentions in this very room."

Ariel didn't even flinch when the plump, thin-moustached man appeared in the doorway and addressed her. She flashed an innocent smile. "Hey, I passed the class with a seventy-five average. I think I redeemed myself in the end."

Cogsworth shook his head. "That could have easily been a ninety, young lady, if you had only concentrated on your studies."

"Aw, I love the seventeenth century as much as you do, but who can concentrate when the junior boys' gym class runs laps right outside the window? Their sweat glistens in the sunlight, you know."

"Go to class!" Cogsworth snapped, pointing away and the redhead raced off, giggling madly. "You two, names."

"Bambi Deerson," the auburn-haired boy rattled off instantly.

"Franklin Gills," muttered Flounder. "But I prefer Flounder."

Despite himself, Cogsworth could not help the amusement that flickered across his normally stern expression. "Pray tell, why?"

"I've always gone by Flounder," he answered. "Ever since I was little."

"While I have no desire to refer to students by their nicknames, I will be willing to settle on Frank."

"Okay," agreed Flounder. "I can live with that."

"To your seats, boys."

They walked into the classroom, only to see that the shelf space that wasn't occupied by books was dominated by various antique clocks. Flounder and Bambi exchanged glances before claiming a table at the back of the classroom.

"Hey, Snow, Merida," greeted Flounder as he pulled his history binder and a pencil from his bag. "How was summer?"

"Horrible," the two girls chorused.

Flounder flinched. "Sorry I asked."

Snow White, her name reflecting her pale beauty, offered her peer a smile. "You were only being polite. It's not your fault my stepmother comes from the fiery pits below."

"An' mine doesnae understand me in th' slightest," Merida huffed in her thick Scottish accent and lowered her head to the wooden table, her wild, curly red locks covering her face. "She actually signed me up fur etiquette class. Withit e'en askin' me!"

"Can't you change your timetable?" Bambi asked. "It is _your _education, after all."

The girl snorted. "Try tellin' 'er 'at."

Snow White patted her shoulder. "Cheer up. At least your mother doesn't buy you clothes with the intent of trying to make you look like an old hag."

_That explains her current attire, _thought Flounder. She was wearing black slacks that were a size too big and needed to be held up by a clunky belt. A blue and red T-shirt with a rip at the hem hung from her delicate frame. But despite the baggy, grungy clothing, it did not take away from the girl's natural beauty in the slightest.

"Are ye really gonnae hae tae wear clothes like 'at all year?" Merida asked, finally lifting her head.

"No. Cinderella is going to bring nice clothes for me so I can keep them in my locker and change. While her stepmother may not be the nicest, at least she invests in decent clothes for her."

"Ye sittin' wi' Cinderella an' 'er crowd at lunch?"

"Yeah. You can sit with us if you want."

"It's alright, I'll probably sit wi' Melody."

The bell rang loudly, signalling the start of class. Cogsworth strode to the blackboard, wrote his name with white chalk, and turned to face his freshmen class. "Welcome to ninth grade history. I am Professor Cogsworth, and I am excited to teach you about the victories, foils and escapades of the people of the past. In order to gauge how much you have learned from your elementary schooling, I have a pop quiz for you."

A chorus of groans rose up at this. Cogsworth removed a sheaf of papers from his desk drawer and started handing them out. "Now, now, none of that. You won't be graded, this is purely for my sake, so I can see what needs to be reviewed and what can be skipped."

Flounder stared at the first question. "Bambi? When did Florida become a state?"

Baffled, Bambi glanced up from the quiz to stare at his friend. "What exactly were you doing when the rest of us were learning elementary history?"

…

When there was ten minutes left of first period, Peter and Wendy slipped out of their respective classes. First period was the only class of first semester that the two didn't have together, but it worked out nicely. It was much easier to get out of class to pull pranks when they weren't together. It was less suspicious this way.

"Here we are," said Peter, suddenly halting. Wendy stopped beside him and stared at the metal door, which held a sign that read _Staff Members Only_.

"You're sure this is the kitchen?" Wendy asked, not wanting to stumble into the staff room.

"Sure am. This door is exactly like the one in the elementary wing." Peter gripped the knob, pumped it gently, and eased the door open a crack. He peeked inside. As it was still too early to prepare for the lunch rush, the kitchen was empty. "Come on."

The teens slipped into the kitchen. A long metal table occupied the middle of the room. A giant fridge, freezer, pantry and industrial oven was on one side of the room. Cupboards hung from the ceiling and a rectangular window, currently sealed by a metal curtain, was on the other side of the room. The glass display cases were devoid of food.

"If the setup is the same as our old cafeteria, then we should find Jafar's lunch in here," mused Peter.

Wendy went over to the fridge Peter indicated. She opened the door and goosebumps prickled along her arms from the chill that wafted towards her. She peered at the plastic containers that held specially prepared lunches for the staff members. Food for the teachers were always made first, as they tended to take more preparation.

She spotted a container labelled _Jafar _and smiled. "Found it!"

Peter peeked over her shoulder. "Now, that salad needs a bit more dressing. It'll make the prank funnier."

He snagged a large bottle of ranch dressing from the refrigerator shelf and popped the lid off. Wendy opened the container and Peter slathered a hefty amount of dressing on the assorted vegetables. "There. Much better."

Wendy giggled and dug into her pocket with one hand. She removed a miniature bomb, a small gadget that Peter was very skilled at creating. The small explosive would hold enough force to blow the contents of the container all over their target, but it would not cause any harm to the person.

She dropped the bomb into the salad and made sure it was covered up. She put the container back into the fridge and gave Peter a smile. "All set."

"Perfect!" Peter grinned and removed a tiny remote from his pocket, which served as the detonator. "I can't wait until lunchtime."

It was going to be a _blast_.


	4. Stolen Glory

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Stolen Glory**

"It's about time," muttered Cinderella. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as she and Belle waited for the couple of people in front of them to receive their schedules. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that our bus was late."

"Well, if it wasn't, we probably would have had a longer wait time," reasoned Belle. "We caught the tail-end of the line."

Rapunzel and Meg stood behind the junior duo, and were the very last people that would get their schedules. "Are we going to get in trouble for being late?" Rapunzel asked nervously.

Meg waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, not on the first day. The teachers know that it's chaos and are actually pretty surprised if we show up on time."

"I've never seen so many people before," said Rapunzel, recalling the clump of kids of all ages that had previously occupied the main lobby.

"Yeah. It's one of the few times the elementary brats and high school jerks mingle." Meg cast a quick glance at the standard clock hanging on the wall above the secretary's desk. "I don't know if I should even bother going to first class. We're already fifteen minutes late."

"You're a senior, Meg. Try to get off on the right foot." Belle, who had overheard the Greek beauty, glanced over her shoulder. She spotted Rapunzel and tilted her head curiously. "I saw you getting on the bus, but I didn't recognize you. Are you new?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. Is it that obvious?"

"Well, I think I'd remember someone with hair as long as yours," said Belle with a grin. "But I've been with my high school peers since the early days of elementary. It's easy to tell when a newbie comes in."

"Where'd you go to school before?" Cinderella asked, joining the conversation. "Can I guess?"

"Go ahead," cut in Meg before Rapunzel could respond. "You'll never get it."

"Fairy Heights Academy?" Cinderella asked. "Wait, no, you don't look like a Pixie. Um…Enchanted Hills Secondary?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "Actually, I was homeschooled. This is my first day of public school."

"Oh, I could not be homeschooled," said Cinderella, eyes wide with horror at the very idea. "Not with my family."

"I hear ya, sister," agreed Meg.

The boy in front of Belle got his schedule and scurried off. She approached the desk and said, "Belle Enchantè, junior class."

With nimble fingers, the secretary picked through the few remaining envelopes and removed the one labelled with Belle's name. The girl stepped to the side so Cinderella could move forwards and she took out a piece of paper, eyes running over her classes. "Not bad."

"Who you got?" Meg asked.

"Geppetto for woodshop, Lumière for romantic literature, Merlin for mediaeval history and Jumba for calculus."

"Calculus," snorted Meg. "Who needs calculus? It's useless."

"I need a challenge," Belle said idly, tucking her schedule into her pocket. "Cinderella, what do you have first?"

"Sewing with Maleficent." Cinderella screwed her face up in annoyance. "I was hoping for Pleakley. He's effeminate and eccentric, but he really does love to teach. Maleficent hates us all."

"Sometimes I wonder why she even became a teacher," mused Meg. "She's not exactly kid-friendly."

"It's a mystery. Well, we better get going. Rapunzel, look for us at lunch. You can sit with us, if you want."

Rapunzel, who had zoned out during most of the conversation (she didn't have much to contribute) snapped back to reality and nodded eagerly. "That'd be great! Thanks!"

Meg stepped forward and got her schedule. She quickly checked her first class and nodded approvingly. "Drama with Clopin. Talk about starting the day right."

The brunette moved to the side, allowing Rapunzel to approach the desk. "Hi," she greeted. "Rapunzel Gothel, sophomore class."

"No need for the name, sugar," the secretary said in amusement, plucking the last envelope from the large box.

"Oh. Right." Rapunzel flushed and took the brown folder. In bright red letters, _transfer _was stamped across the front.

"Someone should be along in a few minutes to help guide you," the secretary informed. "Your student guide will help you get to know Disney Central, and fill you in on the rules. You'll have the guide for a week."

"Okay, thanks," said Rapunzel. The school was huge, and she sincerely doubted that she'd be able to find her way without the help of an escort.

"You good?" Meg asked, pocketing her student card and shoving her schedule in her bag.

"Yeah. Thanks for a nice bus ride."

Meg grinned. "No problem. If anyone gives you trouble, come to me and I'll sort them out for you."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Rapunzel said. "But I appreciate the offer."

The senior departed and Rapunzel settled in one of the plush chairs, removing her student card from the envelope. In addition to sending in her enrollment papers, she also needed to send in a recent picture. A toothy grin beamed at her from the purple plastic, bright green eyes dazzling with excitement.

_I bet no one has ever been excited as I am for school, _she thought. But then again, no one else probably had a mother that was as overprotective as hers.

"Sorry! Sorry I'm late!"

Rapunzel looked up in time to see a strawberry-blonde rush into the office, panting slightly from her sprint. "Are you my student guide?"

The girl grinned. "That's me! I had a heck of a time finding my locker. I can never figure out the numbering system they have here. I'm Anna."

"Rapunzel," she introduced, getting up, her long blonde hair flowing around her. "And this is my very first day of public school."

"So I've been informed. I've got a lot to teach you in a week. There's much to know about Disney Central." Anna held out her hand, and Rapunzel gave her the envelope. She removed the schedule and scanned it for a moment. "Okay, so your first class is art with Rafiki. We've still got some time, so let's mosey on!"

Rapunzel followed the girl out of the office. They turned left and went through a set of double doors. On both sides were security booths, and Anna flashed her student card to one of the guards. Rapunzel quickly copied her action and they were nodded ahead.

"Biggest rule at Disney Central-do not cross over to the elementary wing," informed Anna. "The only times we're ever together during school is on the very first day when we're battling to get our schedules, during certain after-school activities and when there's a school-wide assembly. But there's not too many of those."

"I've heard that there are some teachers that I need to watch out for," Rapunzel said, trying to hide her nervousness. She'd never been disliked by anyone before, so she wasn't sure how she would handle it.

"You're good to go for first semester," assured Anna. "Principal Jafar is severely strict, but if you're a golden student, you won't have a problem. Are you a troublemaker?"

"I don't think so."

"Then you're good!" Anna said cheerfully.

They reached the art room, where loud chatter could be heard from inside. Anna nudged open the door and strode in, Rapunzel following behind her. An African man with a long white beard and a wooden staff stood in the front of the room, observing the chaos with fond amusement.

Dozens of white canvases were hung around the room, and the students were going crazy, flinging coloured paint at the blank slates, creating wild splatters and odd shapes. Many were covered in paint, and some were washing themselves off in the sink stations at the back of the art studio.

"'ello, girls," greeted Rafiki once he'd spotted them near the door. "Don't be shy, come on in!"

"Hey, Professor." Anna smiled. "This is Rapunzel-she's new to Disney Central."

"Transfer, eh? Always good to have a new student." He gestured towards his students with his staff. "Today we are letting our creative juices flow. You can create beautiful work without even meaning too!"

"Sweet." Anna grinned and pulled Rapunzel over to the buckets of paint lining the floor. She dunked her hand into a can of pink paint and flung it at a canvas. Rapunzel watched in awe as the colour splattered on the canvas in tiny dots, creating an odd but intriguing picture.

Anna elbowed the blonde playfully. "Come on, get in it! It's your class, after all. But I'd tie that hair up if I were you. I've got a spare elastic somewhere-here you go!"

With the girl's help, they tied the blonde locks into a high ponytail. Rapunzel rolled up her sleeves, plunged her hands into the paint, and happily got to flinging.

_I think I'm going to like it here!_

…

When the lunch bell rang, Peter eagerly pulled Wendy from their second period class and down the hall. Wendy hastily kept a grip on her books as she stumbled along. "Peter, hold on!"

"I can't hold on! We need to get there before he discovers our little surprise."

"I don't think Principal Jafar will jump from his desk the way we do when the lunch bell rings," said Wendy patiently. "He'll take his time. Just like Principal Hook did."

"I guess you're right." Peter let go of Wendy's wrist and allowed his best friend to lead him to their lockers. "I'm gonna miss messing with that old codfish."

"I don't think he feels the same way," laughed Wendy as she dialled in her combination. With a firm yank, the dented metal door opened and she placed her books neatly inside. "You _did _put a baby crocodile in his office the day of eighth grade graduation."

"His face was priceless," chuckled Peter. He tossed his books carelessly into his own locker and slammed the door shut.

They made their way to the cafeteria, bagged lunches in hand. The place wasn't too crowded, as it was still nice enough outside to eat in the courtyard.

"Hey, Petey!" Tinker Bell waved from the table she was sharing with Faline. "Come sit with us!"

"No thanks," Peter said distractedly, not breaking his stride. Tinker Bell scowled and cast a dark glare at Wendy, as if his lack of attention towards her was her fault. Wendy gave an apologetic shrug and hurried after her best friend.

They found Bambi and his crew sitting near the back of the cafeteria. "Hey, guys," Wendy greeted as she dropped down into the plastic chair beside Thumper. "How was math?"

"Sucked," the boy pouted, stabbing at his carrot salad. "I didn't understand the stuff in elementary school, and it's only gotten harder."

"We'll work on it," promised Bambi. "Did you two get to do what you needed to do?"

"Yep," Peter said in satisfaction. "We're just waiting for the man of honour."

They didn't have to wait long, for soon the tall, imposing man strode into the cafeteria, went to the food belt and got his lunch. Wendy took a bite of her sandwich and watched the man take a seat at the staff table. "I suppose he doesn't have much to do in the office today."

"I can't wait," Peter said with childish glee. He fingered the remote in his pocket, watching intently as Jafar pried the plastic lid off of the container. "Heeereee we go!"

_Boom!_

The dressing splattered in every direction, causing some staff members to hastily shove their chair backwards to avoid being hit. But they needn't have worried-the majority of the substance coated the esteemed high school principal.

White drops dripped down his goatee and made a puddle on the floor. Slowly, the man stood up, lettuce sticking to his clothing. Cold eyes swept his hysterically laughing students before settling on one in particular. "Ababwa."

The cool tone silenced the laughter, and the Middle Eastern boy Jafar was referring to immediately stopped his guffawing. Brown eyes widened in shock. "I didn't do it, I swear!"

"Where have I heard that before?" Jafar drawled.

The boy flushed. "But I'm serious this time! I haven't done anything!"

"Not yet," the brunette sitting to his left snickered.

"Rider, do _you _have something to say?"

"Wasn't me either," the boy said quickly.

"How about your other cohort?"

The last boy sitting at the table with the other two held his hands in the air. "Not me either, Chief."

"I think I'll make the decision of your guilt or innocence. With me, _now._"

Groaning in unison, the three teenagers stood up and shuffled after their principal with scowls on their faces. The second they were out of sight, the students started to laugh again.

Peter sat, stunned. Wendy patted his arm sympathetically. "It's very good we didn't get caught, Peter. We wouldn't want to get into trouble so soon."

"He didn't even _suspect _me!" Peter cried in indignation.

"Of course not," said Bambi in amusement. "You're a freshman. He doesn't know you like he knows the other students."

"Which I would think is a good thing," added Dumbo.

"I need a rundown." Peter frowned and surveyed the collection of students. He spotted Snow White sitting with Cinderella and turned to Wendy. "Please get me a rundown. You know Snow better than I do."

"Sure thing." Wendy got up and went over to the raven-haired beauty. "Hi," she greeted. "Sorry to interrupt. Mind if I take a seat?"

"Go ahead," Snow White invited. A knowing smile crossed her lips. "Does Peter have some questions?"

"He does."

Snow White turned to the blondes and brunette sitting across from her. "Cinderella, Belle, Rapunzel, this is Wendy. She's in my year. Wendy, this is Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel."

"Nice to meet you." Cinderella smiled. "What's this about questions?"

"Peter Pan is my best friend and he's quite the class clown," explained Wendy. "He's a bit of a legend in the elementary wing, but now he seems to be overshadowed. He'd like to know who just got escorted out."

Belle rolled her eyes. "Aladdin Ababwa, Flynn Rider and Jim Hawkins. They've been terrorizing this school with pranks for as long as I can remember."

"I can't believe they did that," Rapunzel whispered. "They're going to be in so much trouble!"

"No, they're not," Cinderella assured her. "This isn't really they're kind of style. They go big or they go home."

"But…why would someone want to pull pranks?" Rapunzel asked in confusion. "It only gets you into trouble."

"That's part of the fun," Wendy explained. "Peter and I have pulled a few pranks as well, though ours are more low-key."

"Anna will explain the whole prank thing to you," said Belle, taking a sip of her water. "There's a lot of pranksters here, so it's good to watch out. Where is Anna, anyway?"

"She said she'd meet me after lunch. I'm not sure where she is." Rapunzel shrugged.

"That girl can't sit still," Belle sighed.

"Any other questions?" Snow White asked Wendy, idly rolling her apple around her tray.

"Exactly how many pranksters are there?"

Cinderella pursed her lips in thought. "Geez, never thought about it before. There's those three, plus Kuzco and Naveen, plus Hercules, Eric and Charming on occasion…"

"That is a lot," she mused. In elementary school, the only competition they had for pranking was Simba and Nala, though they would often work together on some of the more creative pranks. "Thanks for the info." Wendy stood. "See you around!"

She headed back to relay the information to Peter. Her best friend sat still for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face.

_Go big or go home, eh? Hmm…_


	5. Icebreakers Aren't Even Fun

**I do not own Disney anything.**

_Elementary Class List:  
__**Second Grade: **_Ranjan Atwal _(Jungle Book 2)_, Sofia Kingston _(Disney Junior's Sofia the First)_, Michael Darling _(Peter Pan)_, Marie, Toulouse and Berlioz O'Malley _(The Aristocats)  
__**Fourth Grade: **_Cubby Tilney _(Disney Junior's Jake and the Neverland Pirates)_, Amber and James Kingston _(Sofia the First)_, Lilo Pelekai and Stitch Jookiba _(Lilo and Stitch)_, Pinocchio Marchi _(Pinocchio)  
__**Fifth Grade: **_Mowgli Bhandari _(Jungle Book)_, Shanti Char _(Jungle Book 2)_, Chip Potts _(Beauty and the Beast)_, Tod Tweed and Copper Slade _(Fox and the Hound)  
__**Sixth Grade: **_Arthur Pendragon _(Sword in the Stone)_, Simba Abioye and Nala Sarr _(Lion King)_, John Darling _(Peter Pan)  
__**Seventh Grade: **_Jake Wolland and Isabel 'Izzy' Pratt _(Jake and the Neverland Pirates)_, Alice Kingsleigh _(Alice in Wonderland)_, Taran Calder and Eilonwy Goldin _(Black Cauldron)_

**Most last names were created by me, and some ages were adjusted so I could place them in a certain grade. This is the elementary crowd. Some will be focussed on more than others. High school list will be in the next high school chapter, and the staff list in the chapter after that, if you want it.**

**Icebreakers Aren't Even Fun**

Sitting in the white-tiled halls of the elementary wing, Mowgli leaned against his locker reviewing his schedule while Shanti wrestled with her purple lock. "I hate these things," she hissed, eyes narrowed in concentration as she turned the dial.

"You get a new one every year," he remarked idly. "I'm beginning to think locker locks hate you."

"I'd say that's nonsense, but I'm forced to agree." On her fifth try, the lock snapped open, granting her access. Relieved, Shanti flung open the metal door, nearly smacking her best friend in the face.

"Geez, watch it. I don't need a trip to the nurse's office in the first hour of my first day back."

Shanti ignored him and starting arranging her binders and school supplies on the various shelves. Mowgli shook his head, as he had flung everything inside and slammed the door shut before anything could escape. "Come on, Shanti. If Bagheera walks past, he's gonna think we're skipping."

"We've never skipped before. And if we did, why would we be so obvious about it?" pointed out Shanti. She finished emptying out her backpack and put it on the hook. She grabbed a purple binder and her matching pencil case before shutting the metal door, closing the lock with a _snap_. "We got five minutes to class, anyway. Er…what _is _our first class?"

"Fifth graders have Skully for English."

"Do we have Bagheera for anything?"

"Nope." Mowgli grinned cheerfully and stood up, shoving his schedule into his pocket. "As Simba would say, praise be!"

The two hurried to the English room, which was located on the second floor. They took seats near the back and surveyed their classmates, most of which they hadn't seen all summer. "Hey, Chip! It's been forever!"

The messy blonde-haired boy turned around and gave them a wide smile, which revealed the chip in his front tooth. "I know. I spent most of mine helping my mother clean the mansion of the people she works for. It was like I was a prisoner. How about you?"

"When your guardian is a professor, summer isn't even a vacation." Mowgli pouted. "He gave me a list of books to read and we did flashcards. _Flashcards_. How lame is that?"

The wooden door opened then, and in walked their English teacher for the year, Professor Skully. He was a thin man with light green hair, black eyes and a long wide nose. "Morning, class."

"Morning, Professor," the group of fifth graders chorused back, tones ranging from enthusiastic to pure dismay, which he noticed.

"I see that not all of us are excited to be back." Skully grinned and leaned casually against his desk. "But then again, I can't say I blame you. So we'll take it easy today. We'll go over the first semester lesson plan, review the rules and expectations. Normal first day stuff. But first, tell me about your summer."

A chorus of groans went up at that. "Every year, the same thing," complained Mowgli, resting his chin on the top of his desk. "Every year, all I have to say is I did absolutely nothing."

"You spent two months sitting around doing nothing?" Skully asked dubiously, crossing his arms and arching a thin eyebrow.

"He did flashcards," piped up Shanti helpfully, grinning when the class burst into laughter. Mowgli scowled at her and slumped back in his chair.

Skully chuckled. "That's something. So, Mowgli had an educational summer. Anyone else want to share theirs?"

When his eyes strayed to Shanti, the girl gave a shrug. "Spent most of it _helping _him with flashcards," she said, jabbing a thumb at her best friend.

"You make us sound so boring," whined Mowgli.

"We _are _boring."

"Nothing wrong with flashcards," soothed Skully. "Chip, what about you?"

"I learned how to clean a toilet."

Mowgli wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I'll stick to the flashcards."

"Let me rephrase the question. Did anyone have an _interesting _summer?"

His students blinked at him in response. Tod Tweed, a small boy with bright red hair, glanced at his peers before looking at his teacher.

"Maybe we better just skip to the part where we're forced to sit through the spiel of what we can do, what we can't do, and what we have to dread in the upcoming months."

…

"Welcome to the life of wealth."

Sofia could not help but roll her eyes at her best friend's remark. She and Marie O'Malley walked down the hallway, books in hand, while the twins walked behind them. James was positively beaming, bouncing on his toes in excitement. Amber, however, glowered in disgust, dainty hands clutching at her designer (and very expensive) book bag.

"It's not a warm welcome," she muttered back.

Marie adjusted the pink bow in her snow white hair. Crystal blue eyes peeked behind her to study the blonde twins. "Well, it can't be easy. Going nine years with no sister and no mother, and now having her life thrown upside down."

"I've hardly thrown it upside down," said Sofia in exasperation. "She gets along with my mom just fine. It's me she has the problem with, and I don't know why."

"Are we there yet?"

James' excited question caused Sofia to turn and smile at her stepbrother. "Yeah. Your first class is just down the hall, last door on the left. Do you need me to take you all the way or can Marie and I jet off to history?"

"We got it!" James assured. "Come on, Amber."

Amber was dragged off with a scowl. Marie and Sofia turned around and headed for the nearest staircase. "I can't believe she survived the first day rush."

"Neither can I," admitted Sofia. "Every time someone bumped into her, she looked like she just acquired a horrible illness. I think she's spent too much time with the rich and not enough with the 'commoners'. I mean, you're hardly like her. And your family's rich as crazy."

"Well, two things help. Mom remarried a 'commoner', and Dad held on to the morals and work ethic he knew all his life. I wasn't handed everything. I know how hard people have to work for their money and I appreciate that. Plus, there's absolutely no difference between the rich and the not rich. Second, I attended public school since my early days of preschool."

Sofia heaved a sigh, pushing open the door leading to the second floor with her shoulder. "I guess so. I still don't know what her problem is with me. I've been nothing but nice."

"You're only capable of being nice," pointed out Marie with a grin. "But I know what her problem is."

"What?" Sofia asked, blue eyes curious.

"She's jealous."

The brunette stumbled to a halt, mouth open in disbelief. "What?"

"It's true. Amber was Daddy's Little Girl for the longest time. Then you show up and steal part of the spotlight. She's no longer the center of his world. He has another girl to dote on." She flicked her friend's new purple amulet in emphasis. "You're also smart and pretty."

"Not as pretty as her."

"No, you're prettier."

Sofia could not help but grin. "You're only saying that because we've been best friends since said early days of preschool."

Marie shrugged. "Believe it or not. If I suddenly acquired a sister, I can tell you I wouldn't take it well."

Sofia hummed in thought as the girls continued on their way. Perhaps Marie had a point. Maybe Amber _was _just jealous.

And if that was the case, then she had absolutely no idea what to do now. Not unless she suddenly came across a cure for jealousy.

…

By some miracle, Simba and Nala made it to sixth grade geography before the bell rang. The two snagged seats at the back.

"This isn't going to make much difference," muttered Simba, a pout on his lips. "He's got eyes like a hawk."

"It also doesn't help that he knows us like books."

Zazu returned just as the bell rang. He scrawled his name on the whiteboard and turned to face his class of sixth graders. "Welcome to geography. I am Professor Zazu, and I must ask you to be patient with me. It's been a while since I've taught an elementary-level class."

"Not long enough," grumbled Simba.

"Now, we'll go over the course curriculum in a little bit. First, I have an activity planned."

He hefted his briefcase onto the desk and unclasped the latches. He removed a roll of toilet paper and tossed it to Arthur Pendragon, who sat in the front row. "Uh…" the boy hesitated, staring at it in utter puzzlement.

"Take as many sheets as you want," said Zazu.

Blinking in bewilderment, Arthur plucked off three sheets before handing it to the person beside him.

"Sweet," whispered Simba. "I bet I can get enough to T.P. Pete's locker. I'll find a way to sneak over."

Nala rolled her eyes. "That's so lame."

"Shut up. It's classic."

Eventually the now-thinner roll of toilet paper made it to the two. Nala ripped off two pieces and Simba decided to take twelve, not wanting to be too suspicious.

"Now," spoke Zazu. "For every sheet you have, you're going to share a fact about yourself with the class. For example, if you have three sheets, you share three facts."

Simba's eyes grew wide and Nala giggled into her hand. "I don't think you're interesting enough for twelve facts," she teased.

"Trade me!" he insisted frantically, shoving the pile of toilet paper at her.

Nala shook her head and pushed it back. "Don't think so."

"Nala, Simba, since you seem so eager to share, I'll let you go first." Zazu crossed his arms and looked at the pair expectantly.

Nala smiled easily. "My name is Nala Sarr, and my best friend is Simba Abioye. There. That's two."

Zazu rolled her eyes at the simplicity of her facts, but moved on. "Well, Simba, it seems that you have a lot to share."

"No one wants to hear twelve facts about me," said Simba desperately. "How we shave it down to three?"

"I wanna hear twelve facts," Arthur spoke up, a wide grin on his face. The class chimed in their agreements and Simba groaned.

"You guys are horrible. My name is Simba Abioye, my best friend is Nala Sarr-"

"Oh come on," scoffed Nala. "You can do better than that."

"-my best friend is also a hypocrite," continued Simba, shooting her a glare. "Uh…my favourite colour is red, my father owns a string of zoos and safaris, I skipped one day of school last year to go to the circus, my name means 'lion' in Swahili, my birthday is on June 15th, uh…how many is that?"

"Eight," Nala answered promptly.

"Can I stop there?"

"Twelve sheets, twelve facts," said Zazu, an amused glint in his eye.

Simba tapped his finger again the desktop, trying frantically to think. "Graveyards freak me out, I have a birthmark in the shape of a lion's head on my right thigh, hence my name-hey, that counts as three, right? Sure. Why not?"

"One more," said Nala.

"I freaking hate this icebreaker. There, twelve. Take it away, Johnny Boy!"

The class burst into laughter and Zazu shook his head.

This was certainly going to be an interesting year.


	6. Club Central

**I do not own Disney anything.**

_High School Class List:  
__**Freshmen:**_ Franklin 'Flounder' Gills _(The Little Mermaid)_, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Wendy Darling_(Peter Pan)_, Snow White _(Snow White)_, Merida DunBroch _(Brave)_, Melody Triton _(Little Mermaid 2_ (_cousin of Ariel in this story))_, Bambi Deerson, Thomas 'Thumper' Hopson, Flower Forester _(Bambi)_, Dennis 'Dumbo' Jumbo _(Dumbo)__  
__**Sophomores: **_Aurora Briar _(Sleeping Beauty)_, Jane Porter _(Tarzan)_, Rapunzel Gothel _(Tangled)_, Anna Arendelle and Kristoff Anderson _(Frozen)_, Fa Mulan _(Mulan)_, Pocahontas Bateson _(Pocahontas)_, Prince Webster _(Snow White)_, Ariel Triton _(The Little Mermaid)_ _  
__**Juniors: **_Tiana Rose and Charlotte La Bouff _(Princess and the Frog)_, Phillip Hodge _(Sleeping Beauty)_, Cinderella Tremaine _(Cinderella)_, Jim Hawkins _(Treasure Planet)_, Li Shang _(Mulan)_, Tarzan Wilder _(Tarzan)_, Jasmine Sultan and Aladdin Ababwa _(Aladdin)_, Malina Pacheco _(Emperor's New School)_, Belle Enchantè _(Beauty and the Beast)_, Flynn Rider _(Tangled)_, Andrina Triton _(The Little Mermaid)  
__**Seniors: **_Esmerelda Lovel, Quasimodo Frollo and Phoebus Sun _(Hunchback of Notre Dame)_, Kuzco Xiuhpa _(Emperor's New Groove)_, Naveen Maldonia _(Princess and the Frog)_, Gaston Beau and Adam Beastly _(Beauty and the Beast)_, John Smith _(Pocahontas)_, Hercules Mellis and Megara Nikas _(Hercules)_, Charming Kingly, Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine _(Cinderella)_, Eric Delaney and Arista Triton _(The Little Mermaid)_, Hans South _(Frozen)_

**Most last names were created by me, some are based on the homes of some characters, and some ages were adjusted so I could place them in a certain grade. This is the high school crowd. Some will be focussed on more than others. Staff list will be in the next chapter, if wanted. **

_**Kaikamahines: **__girls__**  
Keikis: **__boys_

**Club Central**

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Students whooped and cheered as they flooded out of the massive building and towards the parking lot and buses. Mulan hastily pressed against a bank of lockers to avoid being trampled. "Don't know what they're so excited about," she grumbled. "It's only Wednesday."

"Yeah, but we got past hump day," her best friend, Pocahontas, remarked. She flipped her mane of raven hair over one shoulder before stepping back into the middle of the now-empty hall. "Plus it's the third week of school. September's almost over."

Mulan rolled her eyes. "Oh boy. Only a million more days to go."

"It only feels that way. But back to the matter at hand. You've been staring at these posters for a week. Are you going to join a club or team or what?"

"I don't know." Mulan pursed her lips. "My parents won't get off my back if I don't. But there's only one team I want to join and I can't."

Her eyes strayed to the purple poster advertising tryouts for Disney Central's football team. Pocahontas followed her gaze and shook her head. "Mulan, Disney Central only has a male football team. Until there's enough interest for a female team, you're out of luck."

"I've been trying since freshman year. There's no elementary team, so I was so excited to finally reach high school so I could join. But stupid sexism got in the way." Mulan crossed her arms and frowned. "I've been playing football with my older cousins since I was five. I'm _better _than those monkeys on the field. I don't even know how Gaston made quarterback all those years ago. His throws are sloppy."

"Popularity," answered Pocahontas simply. "Why don't you join Student Council or the Environmental Club? I can show you the ropes."

Mulan could not help but grin. "Tiana's cool and all, but I don't think I could handle her when she's in 'Total Control' mode. And the Environmental Club is not an option. I'd be a horrible hypocrite."

"Er…" Pocahontas studied the collection of colourful posters taped to the wall in hopes for some inspiration. "Chess Club?"

Mulan shot her a withering glance. "Is that the best you can do?"

Pocahontas threw her hands in the air. "You can't carry a tune to save your life, you can't play an instrument, and you have no artistic talent. So all of those options are out."

"Thank you so much for your support."

Ignoring the dry comment, she continued, "The only sport you're willing to play is football, and unless you suddenly transform into a male by Friday's tryouts, you're out of luck."

A sudden, thoughtful expression crossed Mulan's face. "A male by Friday, huh?"

Confused, Pocahontas stared. But Mulan did not offer any more and took off down the hall, a wide grin on her face. "That's it! I gotta do some thinking, but I'll see you tomorrow!"

She disappeared around the corner, leaving the Native American the only one in the hall.

"Why do I have the feeling I just gave her a really bad idea?" she muttered nervously.

…

"Whoa!" James marvelled, staring in awe at the elementary school club advertisements. "This place has so many cool clubs!"

"I don't see a club for ballroom dancing or for planning monthly tea parties," commented Amber snidely.

"I said _cool _clubs, Amber, not snobby clubs."

"What is the matter with you?!" Amber hissed, completely fed up with her brother's accepting behaviour. "How can you just accept this? I want to go back to our old school, where _my _friends are! Why should we have to be relocated just because we have an unwanted new sibling?"

James cast a quick glance at the end of the hallway, where Sofia was waiting for them. The brunette had not overheard the blonde, and was in deep conversation with Marie. Glaring sharply at his sister, James snapped, "I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude, Amber."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm sick and tired of you. For the past three weeks, you've done nothing but complain and whine. But let me tell you something. I like this school _way _better than our old one. Because here, people aren't so concerned with reputation or appearances or making friends with the right people. I'm finally somewhere where I can goof off and not get judged for it. The only problem here is _you_."

"You should be on my side!" Amber said angrily. "How can you just settle in with the commoners?"

"I can't believe I'm related to you." James ran a hand down his face in exasperation and frustration. "Newsflash, Amber. We're _rich. _Not royal. And if you had to spend a day in the shoes of a middle-class person, you wouldn't make it. You're a spoiled brat who wants everything handed to you. You don't know the meaning of hard work. In my opinion, that makes _them _better than _you_, if you're so determined not to view everyone equally."

Amber could only sputter, eyes wide as she stared at her twin sibling.

James continued on. "If you got off your high-horse, you'd see that Sofia is trying really hard to include you, to make you feel welcome. But all you do is rebuff her and be a jerk. If you're going to be miserable and mope every single day, you can do it away from me. I'm here to have fun. I'm not going to let you ruin it."

He started off, but glanced over his shoulder to say, "For the record, Sofia is our sister. She's going to be around for a _long _time. Get used to it."

The blonde boy went over to Sofia and Marie and offered them his arms. Giggling, Marie immediately accepted, though Sofia was a bit hesitant, casting a look at the girl standing in the middle of the hall. At the icy glare sent her way, the brunette hastily latched on to her brother's other arm and allowed herself to be led out of the building.

Amber watched them go. It was only when she was alone did she let her tears of frustration and hurt free.

"So," spoke Marie conversationally as they went towards the elementary school parking lot. "Did you decide on a club?"

"I thought I might join the elementary soccer team," answered James. "I always wanted to be part of a soccer team, but there were no sports like that at my old school."

"Well, welcome to public. Where you can do whatever you want."

Sofia eyed their limo, which was idling in one of the front line parking spaces. "Is Amber okay?" she asked carefully. "She seemed really upset. Maybe we shouldn't have left her."

"Don't concern yourself with her," said James dismissively. "Not right now. You need a ride home, Marie?"

"Nah, my own limo should be around here somewhere. I have to wait for my brothers, anyway."

"You have brothers?" James asked in interest. "How many?"

Marie grinned. "Two. And we got you beat."

"How do you mean?"

"We're triplets."

James stared with an open mouth. "Here I thought being twins was difficult."

The white-haired girl laughed. "It's not so bad. You'd probably get along well with them. Though they're not much into sports, mostly the arts. Berlioz is a musical prodigy. Professor Sebastian-he's _the _music teacher of Disney Central-adores him."

"What's he play?" asked James curiously.

"Piano. If he's not driving me crazy he's playing the piano. Do you play an instrument?"

"Violin," admitted James. "It was mandatory to learn a classical instrument at Wellington."

"You could join the band," suggested Sofia. "Marie and I are in it too."

"I didn't know you were a musician."

Sofia laughed. "Not so much. Marie and I are the vocalists. Professor Sebastian likes to have the singers and the players in one club. He doesn't see a reason to separate us. Band tryouts are next Monday. Maybe Amber would like to give it a shot."

"I doubt it. But I'll see what I can do," promised James. Despite his current frustration with his sister, he wanted her to be happy. "What about your other brother?"

"Toulouse isn't too musically gifted. But he is an artistic genius. He's part of the Artisans. Professor Rafiki puts him at the head of every Art's Night the school has."

Sofia let out a mock sigh of disappointment. "And all you can do is sing."

Marie rolled her eyes and reached around James to pinch Sofia's cheek playfully. "Shut up. I'll have you know my solo got a standing ovation last year at the Christmas concert."

"And as I keep telling you, I was there. You don't need to keep bringing it up."

"I better jet." Marie's crystal blue eyes scanned the parking lot, which was rapidly emptying. "I see no sign of my brothers. Which means I have to tear Berlioz out of the music room and Toulouse from the art room. See you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye!" Sofia and James waved as the girl skipped off back to the school. As she went in, Amber came out, a sullen expression on her face.

The three climbed into the limo and leaned against the seats for the ride home. "So band practice is next Monday," said James conversationally to his sister. "I'm going to try out. How about you? I'm sure they could use someone who can play the clarinet."

"Maybe," said Amber noncommittally, eyes glued to the tinted window.

_Well, _thought James, _it's an improvement from her previous 'not on your life'._

…

Standing at the edge of the pool, Ariel wiggled her bare toes and stared at her reflection in the crystal blue water. Her long red hair was tied up in a ponytail and she wore a bright purple swimsuit with one silver stripe down the right side. _Triton _was written horizontally on the back with the silver number _7_. It was her official Disney Central Senior Swim Team uniform.

"Just think," she spoke, a wide grin on her face, "you might just get one of these."

Flounder rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He wore his personal pair of dark blue swim-trunks. As he was trying out, he didn't have a Senior uniform yet. "My one from last year still fits."

"That was your Junior uniform," said Ariel dismissively. "Ours are way better."

Flounder snorted. "Give me the break. The only difference are that the colours are switched."

The fourteen-year-old had been part of the elementary swim team since the fourth grade. But since he was now in high school, he needed to try out for the Senior swim team. He wasn't terribly concerned, for there _was _a reason his nickname was Flounder.

"Alright, kaikamahines and keikis, let's get ready." Coach David clapped his hands together to get the attention of the gathered freshmen. "There's only two spots on the team, so do your best. Let's warm up with a few laps."

There were multiple whoops and cheers as the group jumped into the lukewarm water, sending up splashes against the light blue tiles. Flounder bobbed below the surface for a moment before springing up, blue hair flopping into his eyes. Ariel tread water beside him and he arched an eyebrow. "You're already on the team."

"I know that. I'm here to support you. Plus, I don't want to walk home alone."

"You're gonna have to get out when we start doing strokes."

"I'll wait until he yells at me. C'mon, get those scrawny legs moving."

Flounder stuck out his tongue as his best friend swam off, arms and legs churning through the water in a perfect crawl. Taking a quick breath, he started around the pool, alternating between breaststroke and backstroke, soon overtaking the redhead.

"Not fair!" she whined playfully as he passed. Flounder grinned in response and continued, his lanky form moving fluidly through the water. The chlorine stung his eyes (he had forgotten his goggles) but he could still see the kicking feet of those in front of him.

After five laps, they all gathered by the pool's edge for further instructions. Ariel climbed out and snagged her towel from the bench and wrapped it around her waist. David approached the group and knelt down a bit. "We're going to do twenty-five yards of breaststroke. Four at a time. Line up and get ready. On my whistle."

Flounder was among the first to go. At the whistle, he dove cleanly into the water and took the lead in no time. Ariel cheered his name, hair plastered to her back. David watched the lanky boy swim, an impressed look on his tanned face.

"Coach, does Flounder _really _need to be here?" Ariel asked, resting her chin against her hand as she watched her best friend outclass the others.

"Rules," he answered simply. "But if you're wondering if he's on the team, then my answer for you is of course. What kind of coach would I be if I didn't put a guy called _Flounder _on my swim team?"


	7. FeMALE

**I do not own Disney anything.**

_Staff List  
__**Professor Bagheera Painthara **__(Jungle Book): _elementary Math, elementary Social Studies_  
__**Professor Zazu Madaki**_ _(Lion King): _Computer Science, African Studies, elementary Geography_  
__**Professor Claude Frollo**_ _(Hunchback of Notre Dame): _Religion Studies_  
__**Professor Chester Cogsworth **__(Beauty and the Beast): _History_  
__**Professor Baloo Kunda **__(Jungle Book): _Philosophy_  
__**Professor Skully Featherstone**__ (Jake and the Neverland Pirates): _elementary English_  
__**Professor Horatio Sebastian**__ (Little Mermaid): _Music_  
__**Professor Rafiki Tinibu**__ (The Lion King): _Art, Art History, elementary Art  
_**Professor Mushu Serpentine **__(Mulan): _Geography, elementary Geography  
_**Professor Genie Lampton **__(Aladdin): _Public Speaking, elementary History)  
_**Professor Lumière Candelabra **__(Beauty and the Beast): _Romantic Literature, Poetry, Cooking  
_**Professor Merlin Wellington **__(Sword in the Stone): _Medieval History, Foreign Language  
_**Professor Archimedes Porter **__(Tarzan): _elementary Science, elementary Social Studies, Biology  
_**Professor Cedric Goodwin **__(Sofia the First): _Chemistry  
_**Professor Archimedes Owlson **__(Sword in the Stone): _Psychology, Etiquette, elementary Foreign Language_  
__**Professor Cheshire Stripes **__(Alice in Wonderland): _Creative Writing, English  
_**Professor Jumba Jookiba **__(Lilo and Stitch): _Physics, Calculus, Algebra  
_**Professor Wendy Pleakley **__(Lilo and Stitch): _Fashion History, Sewing, Cosmetology  
_**Professor Clopin Gypsy **__(Hunchback of Notre Dame): _Drama, elementary Drama  
_**Professors Flora, Fauna and Merryweather Goodson **__(Sleeping Beauty): _Botany, caretakers of school gardens  
_**Professor Maleficent Moors **__(Sleeping Beauty): _Sewing

**Some last or first names were created by me. Some professors will be addressed by their last name (such as Professor Frollo) and some by their first name (such as Professor Baloo).**

**FeMALE**

"Pocahontas, prepare yourself. I've come up with the greatest idea in all of history! Or at least my life."

The Native American sat crossed-legged on her bed, dark brown eyes studying Mulan warily. "Considering your track record with your 'great ideas', I'm rightly worried."

Mulan rolled her eyes. "Thanks for that. Do you want to hear my idea or not?"

"Well, you did come all this way at seven o'clock on a Thursday night, carrying a garbage bag that makes me nervous." Resting her chin the palm of her hand, Pocahontas gave an accepting sigh. "Fire away."

Brightening, Mulan took hold of the oversized plastic bag she had brought with her. "Okay, don't say anything, just hear me out. My parents want me to join an extracurricular activity. The only one I'm interested in is the football team. Problem? It's a male team. Solution?"

When her best friend looked at her expectantly, Pocahontas frowned suspiciously. "It better not be my sarcastic comment from yesterday."

"You got it!" Mulan grinned. "To get on the team, all I have to do it pretend to be a guy."

Pocahontas groaned and buried her face into her hands. "You're serious."

"Of course I am!" exclaimed Mulan. "I didn't do all this planning for nothing!"

Upending her bag, a collection of odd items rolled out over the hardwood floor. Removing her hands, her friend stared in disbelief. "I can't believe this."

Ignoring her, Mulan pointed at the pile of Styrofoam muscles. "Those are to hide my upper lady parts. I figure I'll put them on under my clothes before practices and games." She swung her arm so that it was now pointing at a variety of male toiletries. "Deodorant, body spray, shampoo and conditioner so that I'll smell like a guy."

Pocahontas reached down and lifted up a pair of jeans that definitely wouldn't fit Mulan's slim figure. "That's my guy wardrobe," explained Mulan. "I managed to snag some hand-me-downs from my cousin. He didn't ask what they were for and I didn't offer an explanation."

Dropping the denim material, Pocahontas levelled the girl with an incredulous stare. "You're insane. You can't possibly think this will work."

"Sure it will," said Mulan confidently. "A little more planning and it'll be foolproof!"

"Mulan, dressing up and smelling like a guy isn't going to cut it. There are other problems!"

"Like?"

"The locker room, for one," said Pocahontas, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm sure they'll notice a few things."

"I'm not going to use the locker room, goof. I'll be in uniform beforehand and I'll just make up some excuse and change when I get home."

"Your parents don't work every day," reminded Pocahontas. "And your grandmother doesn't work at all. What are you going to do if one of them is home?"

"Maybe use the girl's bathrooms. Or maybe come here once in a while to change and shower." Mulan mustered up her most charming smile.

"I don't think so," protested Pocahontas. "I'm not going to be a part of this crime."

"Please?" begged Mulan, clasping her hands together. "I can't do this alone. I need help!"

"On the slim chance you pull this off, do you know how much trouble you're going to get into when you get busted?"

"Don't you mean 'if'?"

Pocahontas crossed her arms. "You don't have that kind of luck. You're going to get busted, and at the very least you'll be facing suspension."

But Mulan was not phased. "I can do it. I know I can. I _want _to do it. This is my only chance to get on the football team. I have to at least try. And I'd really appreciate if my best friend in the whole wide world has my back."

Pursing her lips, Pocahontas thought for a moment. "Alright," she finally said. "I'm going to regret this. But it's important to you, so I'll be there with you, as I am with every crazy thing that mind of yours comes up with."

With a squeal of delight, Mulan tackled her friend into a hug. "I love you!"

"Don't love me yet." Pocahontas playfully pushed the girl to the floor. "We still have to iron out a few details."

"Right." Mulan positively beamed as she sat up. "Where should we start?"

Snorting, Pocahontas reclined against her headboard. "For starters, what are you going to do about that particular time of the month?"

"Er, push through, I guess. And hope that nothing escapes. Because that would embarrassing and completely awkward."

"What about your face?"

Hands flying to her cheeks, Mulan cried, "What's wrong with my face?"

"It's feminine," answered Pocahontas dryly.

"Oh." Mulan grinned sheepishly. "Right. Well…I'm not too talented with makeup. But I thought maybe Charlotte could teach me a few tricks."

Pocahontas arched an eyebrow. "It's close to eight o'clock. And it's Thursday. Football practice is tomorrow at four. When exactly is she going to teach you these tricks?"

"Guess I'll find out." Digging through her pocket, Mulan removed her slim green cellphone. Dialing a number, she held it up to her ear and waited. "Hey, Aurora. Listen, I need a favour. Do you know if Phillip has Charlotte's number? Yeah, Charlotte La Bouff. Alright, thanks. I'll explain why later."

Hanging up, Mulan set her cell on the floor and glanced up at Pocahontas. "Now we wait."

A few minutes passed before the cell trilled. Snatching it up, Mulan answered. "Hello? He's got it? Perfect!"

Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper from Pocahontas' desk, she scribbled down the number. "Thanks a lot. Tell Phillip I appreciate it. See you tomorrow!"

Quickly dialing in Charlotte's number, Mulan took a deep breath and waited for the girl to answer. "Hey, Charlotte. You might not know me, but my name is Mulan-oh, you do? Good, that makes this less awkward. I have a huge favour to ask. I need your makeup expertise before tomorrow afternoon. Any chance you can spare some time at lunch-now? You don't have to come _now_-well, if you insist. And I seriously appreciate it. I'm at Pocahontas' house. 765 Jameson Lane. See you in a few. Bye!"

With a triumphant grin, the girl shoved her phone back into her pocket. "She's coming over now."

Ten minutes went by and the Southern darling showed up on the front porch, carting a massive makeup tote and her bright pink car parked in the driveway. "Thanks for coming," said Mulan again as she lead the girl up the stairs to Pocahontas' room.

"No problem at all, sugar. I was hoping for something to come along and save me from algebra and then your call came. I'd rather do makeovers than equations any day."

An aspiring makeup artist, no one at Disney Central could deny the girl's talent. If anyone would be able to transform Mulan into a guy, it was her.

"Hello, doll," greeted Charlotte as they entered the bedroom.

"Hey, Charlotte." Pocahontas smiled. "We have quite the project for you."

"Here's the thing. I'm going to mask as a male and try out for DC's football team."

Intrigued, Charlotte set her makeup case down on the floor and settled into Pocahontas' computer chair. "You're going to pretend to be a guy for five months?"

"Only for the football part," said Mulan. "My alter-ego is going to be a bit of a phantom. Showing up for football and nothing else. Mulan can't exactly disappear, so I have to find a way to make Guy Mulan not so suspicious. But first, I need to know how to not look like a girl."

Tapping a finger against her plump pink lips, Charlotte studied Mulan thoughtfully. "Let's see what I can do. Have a seat sugar."

Mulan took Charlotte's place in the chair and folded her hands in her lap nervously. Plucking a bronzer from her hot pink case, Charlotte uncapped it and dabbed the brush into the light brown pad and started dusting it across the girl's forehead and down the sides of her face.

"What's that do?"

"Makes your face a little more slender, doll." Finished with the bronzer, Charlotte pulled an eyebrow pencil from the front pocket and coloured in Mulan's eyebrows. The slim, feminine brows quickly turned into thick masculine ones.

"Whoa," breathed Mulan, awed.

"I just thickened them up about an inch," informed Charlotte, replacing the pencil with a contouring eye-shadow. Selecting the colour that matched Mulan's skin tone, she used the brush to create depth around the girl's brown eyes.

"Looking good," commented Pocahontas.

Choosing a lighter colour, Charlotte then highlighted Mulan's eyebrows and nose, taking the focus away from the feminine shape of her lips. She switched back to a darker shade to give some shadow to her nose.

Satisfied, she plucked out her liquid eyeliner and added a double-layer line to the top of Mulan's eyelid. She then matched the upper lash line, adding a lash effect at the ends.

"You want facial hair, sugar?"

"You can do that?" Mulan asked in awe.

Taking out a small bottle of black paint and a thick makeup brush, she answered, "You don't get to be the best by not trying."

Dabbing a small bit of paint onto the end of the brush, Charlotte dabbed it across the girl's chin, upper lip and down the sides of her face to create a light facial hair look. "Ta da!"

Accepting the handheld mirror Charlotte offered, Mulan studied her reflection. "Alright! That didn't take long. I think I can do this."

"Geez!" Pocahontas gaped. "If your hair wasn't so long and your boobs were hidden, you would totally look like a guy."

"I cut hair too, though it's not my specialty," offered Charlotte.

Thinking deeply, Mulan finally pinched a portion of her hair, just above her shoulder. "Cut that much off."

"You sure?" Pocahontas asked.

"It'll grow back when I'm ready for it to grow back. And besides, I'll still look like a girl. I just need something for a quick hairstyle switch."

Removing a pair of silver scissors, Charlotte snipped away, pausing now and then to ensure the length was even and she was not cutting crooked.

A pile of thick raven locks gathered on the wooden floor. When Charlotte was done, Mulan had a neat above-the-shoulder cut.

"I'll be right back!" Grabbing her male clothes and fake muscles, Mulan darted out of the room.

Amused, Charlotte zipped her makeup case up. "I know who I'll be cheering for at the games."

"You don't think it's weird?"

"I think she's plumb-crazy. But I hope she pulls it off. What position is she trying for?"

"Wide receiver. It's the position she has most experience with."

Charlotte laughed. "This will certainly be an interesting football season. Think she can pull it off?"

"I think she can, but it's a matter of whether or not those around her will catch on. The test will be the tryouts."

"Well, what do you think?"

At Mulan's voice, the two girls turned to face the doorway. She had pulled up her now-short hair into a stub at the top of her head. Charlotte's makeup job was phenomenal, masking most of the feminine aspects of her face. The fake muscles covered up her chest and the men's clothes fit well, with the jeans being a bit saggy and needing a belt.

"You look like a guy!" exclaimed Pocahontas, hardly believing it.

Mulan grinned broadly. "Sweet! Mission accomplished!"

"I'm so good," sighed Charlotte happily.

"Thanks so much, Charlotte. You're amazing. I'm totally gonna pay you for this. What do you want?"

"Please, sugar. All I want is for you to storm that field and get on the team. I have some extra supplies at home, so I'll bring them tomorrow for you. If you need help, give me a call."

"You don't have to do that."

"I insist." Charlotte smiled. "Now all you need to do is work on your male voice and backstory. After all, a football hunk like Ping can't come out of nowhere."

"Ping?" echoed Mulan.

"Yup." Charlotte grinned and crossed her arms. "That's your alter ego's name. Ping. So where does Ping come from?"

"He's homeschooled," answered Mulan promptly. "He takes the Disney Central Online Schooling Program, which means he doesn't have to physically come to school, but is still eligible for the extracurricular activities, if he so chooses. Which he does."

"Lucky for you DC offers such a program," said Pocahontas. "But there's still a few problems. Ping can't just come out of nowhere. He's going to need a school record, which every student has, regardless of whether or not they actually come to school. Plus, he's either going to need official documents stating he's a student of Disney Central or a student card."

"Do online students get a card?"

"Yeah," confirmed Pocahontas. "I know someone who took it a few years ago. Your student card has your student number on it, which you need to access the modules on the online learning site."

Mulan rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Okay. I need a nerd."

"Pardon?" asked Charlotte.

"I need a genius nerd. Someone who can create an official record into the school's mainframe and help me print off a student card."

"Don't they send the cards off to get printed?" Pocahontas frowned.

"They have a small card printing machine in the office," informed Mulan. "It's for replacing lost or missing cards."

"I think I know a nerd, doll." Charlotte pulled out a sparkly pink cellphone and waved it. "Leave it to me."

"I can't believe this is happening." Pocahontas couldn't help but laugh. "I'm pretty sure this is illegal in some aspect."

Crossing her arms, Mulan grinned broadly. "Get ready, ladies. Tomorrow, Ping hits the field and he's going to show those boys what a _real _football player looks like!"


	8. Operation: Enroll Lin Ping

**I do not own Disney anything.**

_Staff List Continued  
__**James Hook **__(Peter Pan): _Elementary Wing Principal_  
__**Hector Smee **__(Peter Pan): _Elementary Wing Vice-Principal_  
__**Jafar Vizier **__(Aladdin): _Secondary Wing Principal_  
__**Iago Parrotson **__(Aladdin): _Secondary Wing Vice-Principal_  
__**Fairren 'Fairy' Godmother **__(Cinderella): _Guidance counsellor  
_**Blue Fata **__(Pinocchio): _Guidance counsellor  
_**Jiminy Cricket **__(Pinocchio): _Guidance counsellor  
_**Mrs. Angela Potts **__(Beauty and the Beast): _Cafeteria lady  
_**John Silver **__(Treasure Planet):_ Cafeteria worker  
_**Ursula Witchson **__(Little Mermaid): _Cafeteria lady  
_**Joshua Sweet **__(Atlantis): _Nurse  
_**Myra 'Mama' Odie **__(Princess and the Frog): _Nurse  
_**Geppetto Marchi **__(Pinocchio): _Woodshop  
_**Doc Hudson **__(Cars): _Auto shop  
_**Felix Fixit Junior **__(Wreck-it Ralph): _Repair shop  
_**Coach David Kawena **__(Lilo and Stitch): _Gym, elementary Gym  
_**Coach Phil Satyr **__(Hercules): _Gym, elementary Gym

**Staff list finished. As usual, some last and first names were created by me. **

**For those wondering where Elsa is, she's twenty, attending college and is currently estranged from her sister. But like the movie, they'll reunite. It'll take a bit before we reach that point. But let's just say that they're reconciliation might come from Anna getting into some trouble and needing her big sister's help.**

**And football. I have absolutely no experience with American football. I'm researching to the best of my abilities, and admittedly I don't understand everything. So I might not focus too much on the games or practices, mostly on the beforehand and aftermath. What action I do write will probably be outdated rules and completely inaccurate, but try to work with me.**

**And if you enjoyed this chapter, give me a holler if you want to see another 'mission' type chapter.**

**Operation: Enroll Lin Ping**

The morning sky was a light grey, the sun barely casting enough light to awaken Pocahontas' senses. Dry and colourful leaves blew across the cement, carried by the chilly wind. Shivering, the Native American zipped up her beige fall coat and cast an annoyed glance at her friend. "It's too early for this. And I'm the morning person."

Mulan, who normally hated mornings, was bouncing on her toes in nervous excitement, her short raven hair brushing her neck. "Charlotte said to meet here at seven. So here we are."

"Did she say why?"

Mulan shook her head. "No, she was in a rush. Plus, she called me at six, so I didn't want my talking to wake my parents. There would probably be questions and I don't exactly have a cover story yet."

"You might want to work on that."

It was exactly seven on the dot when they saw the blonde's pink car roll into the student parking lot. As Mulan had ridden on the back of Pocahontas' bike (the girl had picked her up) they were standing near the bike rack.

"Come on. We better go meet them," said Pocahontas.

Climbing the grassy slope that connected to the smooth paved lot, they met Charlotte halfway. She was accompanied by a lanky teen with large glasses and a thick laptop case. "Hey, Milo," greeted Pocahontas, surprised. "Don't tell me you're the genius nerd recruited."

"I don't want to do this," the boy moaned in response. "Do you know how much trouble we'll get in if we're busted? We're going to get expelled and probably arrested."

"I know it's risky, but this means everything to me. I want a chance to show my stuff, even if they don't know it's me." Mulan widened her brown eyes pleadingly. "I'll totally owe you one, I swear."

Milo let out a huff of breath. He knew he didn't stand a chance-refusing pretty girls wasn't really something he was good at. "Alright. You owe me one, and you have to completely outshine Gaston on the field."

The girl beamed. "You got it. Thanks so much."

"Do you really know how to hack into the school's mainframe?" Pocahontas asked in interest.

Milo coughed, a blush crawling across his cheeks. "Er, I may have done it once or twice."

"He's not such a goody-goody," put in Charlotte, pinching his cheek teasingly. "Kida's a bad influence."

"Shut up." Milo laughed and swatted her hand away. "Alright, let's get the record created. We want to be in and out and not waste any time."

They all went over and settled on the grassy slope. Milo powered up his laptop and, with some quick fingers, downloaded Disney Central's template for student records. "Name?"

"Lin Ping," answered Mulan.

"Address?"

"Uh-ooh." Mulan frowned. "Didn't think that far ahead."

"You never do," said Pocahontas dryly.

"Hold on a sec." Milo opened a new tab and typed something into a search engine. "Here's a list of houses that multiple people live in. You know, those who rent the basement or upper level of a house while the owners occupy another section. One of these addresses should work. It's better than a generic address, which someone else in the school system might already occupy."

"I'm so glad you're smart," said Mulan.

Milo selected one of the addresses listed and put it into the address bar in the template. "City, state and ZIP code is easy…there we go. When was Ping born?"

"April 17th, 1998."

"That was quick," marvelled Charlotte.

Mulan grinned sheepishly. "It's the day I got Little Brother."

"You have a little brother?" asked Charlotte.

"No. I named my dog Little Brother because I always wanted one, but my parents were more than happy with me."

"I think it's because you were too much trouble."

"Shut up." Mulan rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"Who are his parents?"

"Er…he's only got a mother and her name is Lin Ming. Same address."

Milo entered the data. "Here's hoping they don't go deep sea searching."

"They don't keep track of the online students, do they?"

"Not normally," he assured her. "Those who sign up for online learning are normally those who are advanced and don't want to follow a strict schooling schedule. It's also for those with parents who wish their children to learn from home but don't want to teach, and it's up to them to keep track of their kid's grades. They only contact you if you're failing. Which brings me to the next part-what classes and what grades?"

"Randomize the classes, and let's say he's an honour student. Nothing below an eighty average."

"So Ping is pretty much the person you wish you were," joked Pocahontas.

"Only grade wise," returned Mulan.

It took a little longer for Milo to enter the academic information. "Does he have any health problems?"

"He's the perfect athlete."

"Alright. Um…did he have to take any psychological tests?"

Pocahontas and Charlotte burst into laughter as Mulan pouted. "No, he didn't."

"Maybe not Ping, but they definitely should have tested you for insanity," giggled Pocahontas.

"This next part is going to take me a little bit-it's teacher evaluations."

Mulan leaned against the grass as Milo continued his speedy typing. "Lots of good stuff, but don't make me sound perfect."

"No worries there."

"Okay, that's enough cracks out of you." Mulan leaned over and smacked her friend in the arm. "I need full support."

"I'm giving best friend support. Which means I can rag on you while I help."

"Done."

Surprised, Mulan glanced at Milo. "You said it would take a little bit!"

"It did."

"Geez. You're fast." Mulan sat up. "What's next?"

"I'm assuming you had no disciplinary action taken against you, and I'm also assuming you haven't participated in any other sport activities."

"I guess not. Better keep it average."

Milo finished up the record and glanced at the girl. "Do you have a picture of Ping?"

"Yup. Took it last night." Mulan pulled her phone and a connection cord from her purple hoodie pocket and handed it to Milo. He found the picture and gaped in disbelief. Mulan beamed. "Isn't it great?"

"I thought you were out of your mind when Charlotte explained this suicide mission, but now I'm pretty convinced you can pull this off. Granted, we have to make it in the office, do what we have to do and get out without getting caught."

Milo connected the phone to his computer and added the picture of Ping to the record. He clicked the _create _button and a student number was instantly generated. "Okay, the record is all set. In order to put it in the system, I need to get to one of the secretary's computers and hook it up to my laptop so I can transfer."

"What about the student card?" Mulan asked.

"Charlotte brought her laptop. I'm going to send her the record so that she can hook it up to card machine in the office. The machine will do all the work. It's programmed to know what to print onto the card. Just make sure you select the _secondary _option."

As Milo e-mailed the record to Charlotte, Mulan studied the school thoughtfully. "Okay. This will take quick speed and careful planning."

"And a whole lot of luck," added Pocahontas.

"Got it covered." Mulan lifted up the hem of her hoodie and revealed a small wooden cage attached securely to her belt. Pocahontas gaped at the odd blue cricket, which was sleeping peacefully. "You kept it?"

"Him," she corrected, fondly patting the top of the cage. "I tried letting him go, but he wouldn't go anywhere. So he's my new pet cricket."

"What's his name?" Milo asked in interest.

"Whatever his name is, don't let him out!" Charlotte whimpered, eyeing the insect warily.

"How do you even know its male?" Pocahontas asked dubiously.

"Cause I just do. And his name is Cri-Kee."

"That's the best she could do," Pocahontas said to the others.

Mulan pouted. "No one understands my cleverness like I do." She slipped the bottom of hoodie back over the sleeping cricket. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking. We're going to need two distractions to lure the guards away from their booths. But it's going to have to be other people, since all of us are going to be needed to break into the office."

"It's like we're breaking into a bank," said Pocahontas.

"The consequences are about the same," muttered Milo.

Mulan looked at her watch. It was seven twenty-five, and students were already trickling towards the school, though the bulk of the student body didn't arrive until seven-forty-five, when the buses showed up. The staff had already arrived for the day and were in their respective classrooms.

Spotting a group of students heading towards the entrance, Mulan sprang up. "I'm armed with cash and chocolate. Here's hoping this works."

She rushed over to the four kids and halted in front of them, cutting off their pathway. "Okay, this is going sound really strange, but my name is Mulan, and I need a distraction."

Instead of the odd and creeped-out looks she expected, she got intrigued expressions. "What kind of distractions?" the golden-skinned boy who looked to be in the sixth grade asked.

"I need two people to distract the guards in the booths. I'm going into the office and I'm doing something that will probably get me expelled if I get caught, so I'd rather have them out of the way. I can totally pay you for your efforts."

The boy in the green cap grinned wickedly. "Causing trouble is something we do for pleasure, right Simba?"

Simba grinned. "Totally. I've been too well-behaved lately. Nala, you in?"

"You got it," confirmed Nala.

"Wendy?"

"This will certainly be interesting," said Wendy with a smile. "Hope you remember how to run, Peter."

Mulan clapped her hands. "That's why I love this school. Doesn't matter if you don't know each other, you're almost always willing to help anyway, no matter how crazy the favour is."

"We won't rat on you, either," promised Simba. "How long do you need them away?"

Mulan checked her watch. "It's almost seven-thirty. We only have fifteen minutes to get the job done, though hopefully it won't take that long."

"A challenge. I like that." Simba bounced on his toes in excitement. "I need to practice for the track team anyway."

"If you guys don't get caught and put in detention, meet up with me by the bike rack after school. I'm treating everyone to burgers." Mulan waved her friends over and they climbed down the slope. "Guys, this is Simba, Nala, Peter and Wendy. They are going to be our distractions."

"You can't recruit kids!" hissed Pocahontas. "Do you know how much trouble they'll get into?"

"Won't be anything we haven't had before," said Simba dismissively. "Besides, you only get in trouble if you get caught."

"We're always up for some troublemaking," said Peter.

"We're meeting up here after school," Mulan informed her friends. "I'm treating everyone to burgers-and in your case, Pocahontas, a salad. Let's do this!"

Milo and Charlotte took out their prepped laptops and cords. At Mulan's nod, the four walked casually into the building. "You guys go first," Simba whispered.

Peter and Wendy strolled through the doors that led to the elementary wing. "Hey," the guard called as they walked right past. "I need to see your cards."

"Gotta catch us first, Lard Butt" called Peter over his shoulder.

The guard immediately burst from the booth and the two freshmen took off down the hall, giggling as they ran.

Simba watched as the guard chased the two well down the hall and then around a corner. "Our turn. Ready?"

"You know it."

Simba and Nala charged through the secondary wing doors. Nala thumped on the glass of the security booth and shrieked, "Loooooser!"

"Why, you-!"

Simba laughed wildly as they tore down the hall, the guard in hot pursuit. "Come on, man, you can do better than that!"

As the four led the guards on a wild chase, Mulan peeked to ensure that the coast was clear. "Let's go. Pocahontas, you need to distract the secretary."

"I can't believe I agreed to this." Pocahontas took a deep breath and walked inside the office. There was only one secretary at this early hour, and she was currently juggling a massive pile of papers near the photocopy machine.

_I'm really sorry about this. _

Pocahontas rammed into the poor lady with her shoulder, causing a snowstorm of loose papers to fly everywhere. "I am so sorry!" exclaimed Pocahontas. "I'm such a spaz!"

"No, no, it's okay," the secretary said, though her annoyance was clear. She bent down to begin the long and tedious task of collecting the papers, and Pocahontas jerked her head, signalling for her friends to come in.

"You guys go," said Mulan. "I'm going to be on the lookout. If you hear me cough twice in a row, someone is coming and you need to either get out of there or hide."

"I think I'm going to throw up," Milo muttered.

"Come on doll, we don't have much time."

Charlotte pushed open the door as silently as she could. Totally occupied with the papers, the secretary did not notice them. Pocahontas had crouched down, blocking her view of the door just in case, and was further distracting her with conversation.

Milo crept over to the secretary's computer, which was already logged in. He bent down and crouched under the desk, where the system unit was located. He connected his laptop to the computer and started the transfer, sweat rolling down his back as he worked.

Charlotte went over to the card printing machine, which was located behind the desk. She hooked up her pink laptop to the machine and opened up Ping's record. She then turned the machine on, jolting when it gave the start-up whirring sound. But before it could draw any attention, loud music started playing from outside the door, and she caught Mulan's eye through the glass separating the room from the hallway. Mulan flashed a thumbs up and raised her phone, which was belting tunes at full volume.

Twisting the cord between her fingers, her heart pounded as the machine churned out the card at an agonizingly slow pace. She cast a glance at Milo, who was drumming his fingers frantically against his knee, eyes locked on the loading bar, which was half-full.

_Come on, come on…_

The machine finally spat the card out and Charlotte snagged it, careful of the fresh ink. She disconnected her laptop, shoved it back into her bag and snuck over to Milo's side, card in hand. "How are we doing?" she whispered.

"So much for high-speed internet," he returned, teeth clenched together in anxiety.

"_Hack! Hack!"_

About a millisecond after Mulan's cough, a dry, cool voice asked, "Is there a particular reason you're causing a disturbance outside my office, Miss Fa?"

Head snapping up so fast her neck cracked painfully, Charlotte's eyes widened. Jafar was staring at Mulan expectantly, but the girl only held onto her blaring phone limply, seemingly unable to speak. Pocahontas froze with a handful of papers, but the secretary did not notice her odd behaviour.

"My job is done," hissed Charlotte, getting to her feet. "I'm out of here. Good luck!"

Milo's lips flapped as the blonde stood up, opened the window behind the secretary's desk and climbed out, leaving him behind. His gaze jumped from the loading bar to the glass, where he could see Mulan babbling to a not-impressed Jafar.

_Transfer Complete._

"Abandon ship," he whispered to himself, practically ripping out the connection cord. He quickly checked to make sure the transfer went smoothly before diving out the window himself.

Shoving her papers into the secretary's already-full hands, Pocahontas said, "Again, so sorry!"

She quickly slipped out of the office and took off for the high school wing. Mulan rattled off another apology, shoved her now-silent phone into her pocket, and raced after her friend.

"The guards are still gone," panted Pocahontas as they continued speed-walking.

"Not anymore," observed Pocahontas.

Simba and Nala came tearing down the hall, faces flushed and with bright smiles. "You're welcome," rasped Simba lowly.

"See you for burgers," added Nala, and they disappeared back to their own wing just as the guard rounded the corner, wheezing and stumbling.

"Did-you-see-?" he gasped, but could not finish the sentence, as he was gulping in air.

"Two kids came by," said Mulan nonchalantly. "We sent them back to their own wing."

Getting himself together, he straightened. "Do you happen to know who they were?"

"Nope. Sorry."

Grumbling, the guard went back to his post. When he was out of sight Mulan burst into giggles. "This school needs to get some fit security guards."

"Hey, ladies!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Mulan grinned when Peter and Wendy sauntered towards them. "Seriously, you guys are the best."

"We lost him near the playground," laughed Wendy. "It was great."

"Can't wait for those burgers." Peter winked and the two headed off for class.

"That's four accounted for plus us. I wonder how Charlotte and Milo made out."

Her phone beeped suddenly and she checked it. "It's a text from Charlotte!"

_Hey doll, we made it! I think I broke a nail climbing out the window, and Milo's having a heart attack, but mission accomplished!_

"We're golden!" Mulan jumped excitedly.

"Great. Now can we please get to class?"

Practically skipping, Mulan followed her friend down the hall.

Lin Ping was officially a member of Disney Central. Those football players didn't stand a chance.


	9. Tryouts

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Next chapter will deal briefly with Mulan, then will switch focus to October and the masquerade ball. Which means Cinderella will be the main focus, along with a side story with Nala and Simba, dealing with a dare to spend a few hours in a graveyard-at night.**

**Tryouts**

"Did I miss anything?"

Pocahontas glanced at the Southern belle as she settled beside her. "No."

Charlotte set her purse in her lap and scanned the football field, which was filled with guys in purple mesh jerseys. They were currently warming up, with some stretching and others doing push-ups. "Where is he?"

Due to the amount of people occupying the stands (including the current football team members) they needed to be careful when referring to Mulan. "He's on his way," replied Pocahontas.

"Is he nervous?"

"No, but I am."

Charlotte grinned. "Me too."

"Thanks for being here with me," said Pocahontas. "I'm going to need a hand to hold when my nerves start to get the best of me."

"No problem, doll. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Pocahontas craned her neck to look down the field, but she still could not see any sign of her friend. "So how did cheerleading tryouts go?"

"Didn't last too long, since all we needed was a flyer. It's difficult to find someone small and fit enough, but Tinker Bell was the perfect match."

"Tinker Bell?" echoed Pocahontas. "Don't think I know her."

"She's a freshman," replied Charlotte. "She only transferred here two years ago, anyway. Our first practice is next week. Aurora is planning the routine for our first-oh! There s-uh, he is!"

Pocahontas snapped her head around to see Mulan-as-Ping jogging down the field. The girl wore a pair of worn grey shorts and a red T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a tight nub and her makeup job, while not as good as Charlotte's, was enough to mask her feminine features.

"Feel better?" Charlotte asked in a low voice.

"If she makes the team, I won't feel better until the season is over," returned Pocahontas softly.

Mulan's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and she could feel sweat building under her armpits. Coach Phil stood at the edge of the field, clipboard in hand and studying it intently.

"Uh…hi," she greeted in a deep voice when she neared him. "I'm here for tryouts."

"Don't know what else you'd be here for," returned Phil, glancing up to survey the newcomer. "You got your student card on you?"

Mulan immediately proffered the item from her pocket and handed it over. As Phil copied down the information to the already massive list, she ventured, "I'm taking the DC online program, if that means anything."

"It doesn't, but thanks for the heads-up." Phil finished writing down the name and student number and handed the card back. "Though it ain't often where we get online students joining our sport teams."

"Uh, well, I thought I'd give it a shot," said Mulan, shoving her card back into her pocket.

"Jerseys and helmets are on the bench, Grab 'em and start warming up."

Mulan nodded and quickly went over to box of jerseys, snagging one and pulling it over her clothes. _Phew. So far, so good._

She got down to the grass and started doing some push-ups.

"Are any of you guys going to help or are you just going to sit there?"

Glancing up, Mulan watched as a tall, well-built guy dragged tackling bags to the middle of the field. He was glaring towards the stands in annoyance.

"You're the captain!" someone shouted. "This is your job!"

"Come on, Yao. Let's help the guy out."

Eventually a group of football players jogged onto the field to help their friend with the set-up. Mulan recognized a few, like Gaston, Phillip and Hercules. But most she didn't know, mostly due to the fact that while she paid attention to the games, she didn't exactly pay attention to the names of the players.

After a few more minutes of stretching, Phil blew on his whistle. "Alright," he boomed. "I want two laps around the field! Get moving!"

The group immediately started jogging the perimeter of the football field. Mulan went at an easy pace, grateful for the Styrofoam muscles concealed under her clothing. They stopped certain feminine parts from bouncing and attracting attention.

Two laps later, they gathered around Phil. "There are ten tackle bags. Line up and let's see what you got. Don't forget to keep your head up. The last thing I need is to fill out paperwork because one of you is a dunderhead."

They split up into ten lines, and at each whistle blast they wrapped their arms around the upper part of the tackle bag, getting a feel of what a tackle would feel like. Mulan kept her head up and arms tight, locking them in the proper position, making sure to go up and not out.

"He's not so bad," said Charlotte as the aspiring football players got ready to practice running tackles.

Mulan was among the first to go. At the whistle blast she ran at the tackle bag, but got knocked back as she ran smack into it.

Pocahontas flinched as the crowd in the bleachers burst into laughter. "Spoke too soon," she muttered to her friend.

"Ooh." Charlotte flinched. "That looked like it hurt."

"And this is only the tryout. Imagine the pain the actual games would bring him."

After a couple more rounds, Mulan got the hang of running tackles, though she would admit she was far from great at it.

"Let's see your foot fire, boys!"

Mulan grinned. This, she could do.

Nimble on her tiptoes, she shuffled quickly towards the tackle bag and went in for the tackle.

"That one was much better," observed Charlotte.

Pocahontas nodded in agreement.

After practicing foot fire, four and six point tackles, Phil ordered them into pairs, where they would throw the ball to their partner, the distance growing between them with each pass.

"He can really throw," said Charlotte in awe as Mulan snapped the ball towards her partner in a perfect toss that spiralled through the air.

"Throwing and catching are his specialties," said Pocahontas, watching as Mulan's partner threw a clumsy toss.

After some back and forth, they all needed to take the ball and weave through the cones set up on one end of the field. Mulan tucked the ball to her chest and weaved through the orange cones, eyes locked straight ahead.

"Here comes the wide receiver part," whispered Pocahontas.

And Mulan killed it.

She weaved through the cones with ease, hardly even looking at them as her attention focussed on the incoming football. Each catch was perfect, with no sign on fumbling. She never missed, never faltered, never stumbled.

Charlotte squealed with excitement. "That was amazing!"

"I guess something did come out of all those hours of football playing instead of homework completion," said Pocahontas in amusement.

The next part was catching the ball while blocking the opponent, which was Phil. Mulan wasn't as skilled in this area, but she still managed to always catch the ball.

Breathing heavily, she was admittedly relieved when the final part of tryouts occurred-kicking the ball through the uprights and kicking the ball down the field.

"That's embarrassing," laughed Pocahontas as one guy completely missed the mark, sending the ball flying into the bleachers. "But not like I can do any better."

Finally, after two hours of continuous practicing, Phil blew his whistle and the crowd of sweaty males (plus Mulan) gathered around him. "Not bad, boys. I'll see you on Tuesday, after school at four, for the last tryout. Leave the helmets and jerseys on the bench and hit the showers. You lot stink."

As the crowd filed off, Mulan tossed her helmet and purple jersey on the bench and jogged down the field, where she met with Charlotte and Pocahontas.

"You were fantastic, doll!" said Charlotte with a grin.

"Thanks." Mulan smiled. "I'm feeling pretty good. But there's still one more round to go before the decision is made."

"Yeah, but next time you'll be trying out specifically for the wide receiver position. You'll nail it, doll." Charlotte glanced over at Pocahontas. "How're your nerves?"

"Recovering. You did really well."

Mulan beamed. "Thanks, Pocahontas."

One tryout down, one more to go.

…

Tuesday arrived, and the final tryout started out the same as the last one. Warm-ups and tackle practice, with Mulan adding a few more bruises to her collection.

Then Phil separated them into the different positions they were trying out for-tight ends, wide receivers, running backs, etc.

Mulan jogged over to the setup of cones at one end of the field with the other wide receivers. _I can do this. I can do this._

The next hour or so was spent practicing jukes, which were sharp turns. Mulan spun and moved to avoid getting tagged by her designated opponent, ball secure in hand. She practiced making catches using the proper method, which was making a diamond with her hand, ensuring that her pinkies touched the ball first.

The last bit was doing foot fire, slaloming through the cones and then doing it while catching the ball.

"Who is that guy?" marvelled Hercules from the stands, watching as the lanky male dominated the others trying out for the wide receiver position.

"No clue." Phillip shrugged. "But he's awesome."

"Not the greatest tackler, though," put in Shang.

Hercules rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't kill you to give a praise now and then."

"I think it would. I don't need you guys getting big heads." He jabbed his thumb towards Gaston, who currently had his arms draped around the Bimbette triplets.

Hercules snorted. "Yeah. Like he didn't have a big head since the day he was born."

"I don't think I'll take the chance, thank you."

Soon tryouts ended, and the group gathered in front of Phil. "Alright, the list will be up in two days. Thanks to everyone for trying out. If you don't make this year, hey, there's always next time."

As the group started off, Phil hollered, "Oh yeah! If you get picked, you'll have to find me for permission forms!"

_Permission forms._

Eyes wide, Mulan found Pocahontas in the stands. The girl looked just as stunned as she did.

They had forgotten about the permission forms.

_Uh-oh._


	10. Halloween Plans

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**No, it's not a coincidence that Naveen is the only male on student council. Once he realized that Tiana was president and that no males had any interest in joining, he signed right up, and of course got the majority vote. **

**Halloween Plans**

"Dude, someone went overboard on the decorations."

Simba glanced around the hall, which was decked out with orange and black streamers, yellow caution tape, pumpkins, ghosts and bats made out of construction paper were taped to the walls. "They're not even scary. This is all kid stuff."

Nala rolled her eyes. "While I agree with you, I also understand that some of the first graders are sensitive to frightening things."

"Fake blood isn't going to scar them for life," returned Simba. "I'm sure they see worse things on T.V."

"_Aagghh!"_

A tall figure lurched from around the corner, dressed in a long black cloak and bearing a white, empty face. Simba and Nala shrieked in fright and stumbled backwards, only to trip over each other and tumble to the floor.

Familiar laughing erupted from behind the cloak and Simba scowled. "That was so not funny."

"Nor was it appropriate."

Simba and Nala hastily got to their feet as Hook strode up to them with an unimpressed expression. With nimble fingers, the elementary school principal removed the long black garment and mask, revealing Lilo Pelekai perched on the shoulders of her best friend Stitch Jookiba. The Hawaiian girl sported a pair of vampire fangs, complete with fake blood.

"Um…boo?" offered Stitch.

"I believe we have had this conversation every October since the pair of you started school," drawled Hook. "Do I need to be redundant once more?"

Lilo climbed off of Stitch's shoulders and tried to look as apologetic as she could. "I'm sorry. I just love Halloween. It's my favourite time of year."

"So I've noticed." Hook levelled the two with a stern glare. "But scaring your peers is not acceptable behaviour. This is a school, not a fun house. If I need to speak with you again I will ensure that you spend Halloween scrubbing the toilets of this school. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," chorused Lilo and Stitch.

Nodding curtly, the man took his leave, costume in hand. Stitch stuck out his tongue at the man's departing back. "Meanie," he grumbled.

"He doesn't know the meaning of fun," agreed Lilo. She turned to the two sixth graders. "Are you mad?"

Nala waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, that was good."

"Yeah," admitted Simba. "When it comes to Halloween, you guys rule."

They set off down the hallway together. "So what are your plans for Halloween?" asked Nala.

Lilo smiled. "Trick or treating until my feet fall off."

"That's our plan too," said Simba.

"If we don't get grounded before that, anyway," added Nala.

"I hear you. My sister has been snappy lately. If I make the wrong step she'll probably lock me in my room." Lilo kicked at the tiled floor. "I don't think she's taking the guardianship thing very well."

Nala rested a hand against the girl's shoulder. "Hey, it'll get better. It just takes time. She's only, what, eighteen?"

"Nineteen. And yeah, I guess you're right. It's only been six months since the accident." Lilo's bright brown eyes dimmed a bit. "I miss them."

Stitch promptly unzipped the front pocket of Lilo's backpack and held out a worn photograph. "Always here."

Lilo smiled softly. "Thanks, Stitch." She took her most treasured possession and stared at the picture for a moment. It was the last one taken of her with her parents and sister before the car crash happened.

"Hey, I have an idea," said Nala suddenly. "Why don't we go trick or treating together? We'll hit up a major haul and have ample trading opportunities. What do you say, Simba?"

"Sounds good to me," he replied.

Lilo brightened. "You don't mind hanging out with a pair of fourth graders?"

"You're the cool fourth graders," returned Simba. "Anyone who wears vampire fangs for the entirety of October is alright in my book. But we have to make it interesting."

"We are not doing Devil's Night," warned Nala. "At least not until we're sixteen and have a getaway car."

Simba rolled his eyes. "We're not going to do Devil's Night. I was thinking of having a Halloween dare contest. We can only trick or treat for so long."

"Curfew?" pointed out Stitch in his broken way of speaking.

"So long as we stick in our neighbourhood, we're allowed to go out by ourselves. We have to be back by nine, and call in every hour." Nala smiled. "Other than that, we'll be unsupervised."

"So long as I'm back before Nani returns from work, I'm good." Lilo glanced at her friend. "Jumba, on the other hand, is another story."

"Oh yeah," groaned Simba. "You're a Teacher Kid."

Stitch shrugged helplessly. "Sokka."

"That means sorry," translated Lilo. "And it shouldn't be too hard to convince Jumba to let Stitch out by himself. So long as I'm with him."

Nala tilted her head to the side curiously. "Why does that make a difference?"

Stitch flinched and Lilo hesitated. "He got into some serious trouble a few years ago. But it's all cool now. Jumba just worries Stitch will mess up again. But that won't happen. I'm sure of it."

"We've gotten into our fair share of trouble," said Simba airily.

"We'll work something out," assured Nala. "We'll rock this Halloween."

The bell rang shrilly then, causing the four kids to jump in surprise.

"Oh, man," groaned Simba when he realized that the hallway was completely empty.

"We're late!" cried Lilo. "Aw, Professor Porter is not going to be happy with me. This is the fifth time I've been late this month. C'mon, Stitch. See you guys later!"

"Bye!" called Nala as the four split off, hurrying in different directions.

"We have Zazu right now, don't we?" panted Simba as they jogged down the hall.

"Of course we do. That's just how our lives work."

…

"So, did Mulan figure out her problem?"

Pocahontas rolled her eyes as they walked down the hall towards the student council room. "Finally. I don't know how she managed to get away with hoarding that permission slip for so long. But with the first game arriving so soon, she didn't have a choice. She ended up signing Ping's name with her left hand."

"Which Coach Phil probably won't recognize," realized Charlotte. "No one can read a signature when it's written left-handed."

"And since some people just have messy signatures, it's not suspicious. I don't think Phil would have recognized her regular signature anyway-he's never had her before. But I guess she didn't want to take chances."

"After everything that's happened so far, it would be embarrassing to get ousted by a permission slip," agreed Charlotte.

The two reached the wooden door that bore the gold plaque that read _Student Council_. Pushing open the door, Pocahontas noted that most of the committee had arrived. "Hey, guys."

She got a chorus of greetings in turn. She took a seat beside Jasmine while Charlotte went to sit beside her best friend and Student Council President, Tiana Rose.

"And of course, Naveen is nowhere in sight," she grumbled under her breath, clenching her papers tightly.

"It doesn't matter if we start late, sugar," soothed Charlotte. "We'll stay late to make up for the time. Besides, he's still got three minutes."

It was exactly three minutes later when Naveen Maldonia arrived, the door slamming shut dramatically behind him. "Ladies," he greeted with a charming smile.

Tiana rolled her eyes. "At least you're on time. Barely. Sit down."

Naveen sighed and dropped into the last empty chair, his backpack sagging to the carpeted floor. "Why can't you ever say a nice greeting back?"

"That would break habit. I don't like to break habit."

"She really doesn't," informed Charlotte.

Naveen arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything further when Tiana shot him a glare. "Okay, first on the agenda, I have some introductions to make. I know you guys went through the voting process, but I want to formally introduce our new freshmen members, Melody Triton and Snow White."

Two raven-haired teens sitting at the end of the long wooden table waved. "Hi," the girl with the longer hair greeted. "I'm Melody."

"And I'm Snow."

"You're Andrina's cousin, right?" Jasmine directed towards Melody.

Melody nodded. "Yup."

"What are their positions?" spoke up Naveen.

Tiana stared at him in exasperation. "Do you listen to anything other than the sound of your own voice?"

"I listen to you, when it's in my interest."

"Melody is our new secretary and Snow is our official spokesperson. Any other questions or can we get this meeting rolling?"

"Carry on," said Naveen, leaning back in his chair.

"Thank you," she returned sarcastically. "We need to figure out a theme for this year's Halloween dance."

Jasmine rested her chin against her hand, gold bracelets jangling on her thin wrist. "Ti, it's a _Halloween _dance. The theme is already there."

"I'm pretty sure we had this conversation last year," said Belle. "And Tiana trumped us. As she always does."

"Hey, the Spectral Swing was a total hit," defended Tiana. "Halloween is too broad. We need to narrow it down so-"

"-the gym doesn't look cluttered and unorganized," finished the rest of the committee.

"We know," said Charlotte. "Alright, sug. Any ideas?"

"I was thinking of a haunted house kind of thing. Create a maze around the perimeter of the gym and have everyone dance in the middle, which will be an open space."

"We have two weeks to do this," pointed out Cinderella.

"Yeah, and I'm not killing myself to get this done like I did last year," added Naveen. "I nearly broke my neck falling off that ladder. Those stupid glow-in-the-dark ghosts didn't need to be hung that high anyway."

Tiana put her hands on her hips. "If you're not willing to do work, then why are you here?"

"You," answered Naveen simply, grinning when Tiana's face grew flustered.

"Whatever," she snapped, glaring at her notes. "The other idea I had was zombies-"

"Overrated," cut off Naveen.

"Overdone," added Melody.

"And freaky as heck," said Malina with a shudder. "We always do spooky and scary themes. I know that's kind of the point of Halloween, but what if we did something different?"

Tiana eyed her vice-president curiously. "Like?"

"A masquerade ball."

Naveen grinned. "That sounds sexy."

"Okay, gross." Pocahontas shoved Naveen in the shoulder. "How is that possibly sexy?"

"Masquerade balls give off an air of mystery. You don't know who's who. You could dance with your greatest crush and you would never even have to reveal your face."

"That's appealing," admitted Cinderella.

"All in favour for a masquerade ball?" asked Tiana.

Everyone raised their hands. "Perfect. I already spoke with Principal Jafar and he said that we can have in the gym until eight, but we have to clean up afterwards."

"Like always," sighed Charlotte.

"Belle, you got our budget list ready?"

The brunette held up a printed spreadsheet. "Separated by category, like always. I have copies."

"Cinderella, can I have the posters by the end of this week?"

Cinderella nodded. "Sure. Do we have a name or is it just going to be Masquerade Ball?"

"Masquerade Madness!" said Melody.

"That's good," approved Tiana.

Cinderella wrote the name down along with the other information. "It's still four bucks a ticket, right?"

"Yeah." Belle studied her records from previous dances and events. "That seems to be golden price. Not too expensive, and it covers our butts from going bankrupt."

"So we're good for posters. Jas, you and Charlotte can go shopping for decorations next week. We should have enough revenue from the ticket sales to cover that. Cindy, we'll pay you back for the posters after the dance."

"I know the drill," assured Cinderella.

"Snow, you start broadcasting the dance on the morning and lunchtime announcements."

"Got it."

"Pocahontas, we'll work out the food next week."

"I'll come prepared with a list," promised Pocahontas. "Not all will be vegan, I swear."

Tiana surveyed her notes and nodded. "We'll finalize everything next week, once we see how our profits are doing. Malina, can you work on getting teacher supervisors?"

"I'll nab the usual targets," said Malina.

"And Melody, you'll be on ticket duty tomorrow. How are you with change?"

"Pretty good. I'll have a calculator on standby in case my brain shuts down unexpectedly."

Tiana clapped her hands together. "That's it for today. If I think of anything urgent I'll fire off an e-mail."

"Are we dismissed?" asked Jasmine. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to stay, but I'm afraid I have something to do."

"With Aladdin?" teased Naveen.

Jasmine turned red. "Shut up. You know I'm not into him."

Naveen snorted. "Yeah. Sure. So your face is flaming up for a different reason, then?"

"You're so annoying." Jasmine stood, bringing her designer purse with her. "I'll see you guys later."

"Have fun at whatever," called Pocahontas as the Arabian beauty hurried out of the room.

"The rest of you can go too," dismissed Tiana. "See you the same time next Friday."

As the others departed, Naveen leaned forward on the table and watched as Tiana gathered up her notes. "So, how would you like to me date for this dance?"

Tiana sighed in exasperation. "You ask at every dance, at every event. When will you take the hint? The answer is no."

"No one can resist my charms for long." Naveen smiled mischievously. "Even if you don't agree to be my date, that doesn't mean you won't be dancing with me. It is a masquerade ball, after all."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to reject every offer that comes my way," she replied calmly, packing her notes into her bag and leaving the room without saying goodbye.

Naveen smirked. _Don't be so sure, darling._

This time, he had a plan. Whether she liked it or not, Tiana would end Halloween night with a dance with the one and only Naveen Maldonia.


	11. Halloween Horror

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Next chapter will be the ball, then I think we'll swing back to Mulan. Maybe. Not sure yet. There's a plethora of characters to explore. But you probably want Mulan. Oh, and hit me up with Christmas ideas. I'll see what I can do.**

**Happy Halloween!**

**Halloween Horror**

"Ow…ow…everything hurts."

Pocahontas glanced at Mulan, who was limping along beside her. "You're not even trying to hide your pain."

Mulan glared in annoyance. "You try getting tackled by three muscle-bound seniors and walk away without a scratch."

"Ssh!" hissed the Native American, frantically looking to see if anyone had overheard the girl's remark. But everyone was oblivious, too wrapped up in their own conversations to eavesdrop. "You can't just go around blabbing like that."

"You need to relax. Everything is going great and no one suspects a thing!"

"Yet," said Pocahontas tensely. "It's been over a month. Everyone's too concerned with Halloween and preparing for midterms to worry about the Disney Central Dragons. Once you reach the finals, that's going to change and all eyes will be on you."

"Then I guess I ought to be comfortable while I can," said Mulan. A large, black poster advertising the annual Halloween dance in silvery letters caught her attention. "Hey, you going to this Masquerade Madness thing?"

Pocahontas shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. You?"

"Think so. I just have to go hunting for a masquerade mask." Mulan rummaged through her pocket and pulled out some change. "And I have enough for a ticket. Perfect."

They went to the cafeteria, where a short wooden table was situated outside the double glass doors. An old, beaten up silver tin filled with bills and coins rested on top, along with a thick notebook filled with numbers and names and a multitude of pens.

"How's business?" asked Mulan, approaching the freshman manning the table.

Melody lazily poked at the buttons on her aqua-blue calculator. "Slow. Everyone mostly got their tickets the first couple days we started selling them."

"Haven't you been here every day since then?"

The girl grinned. "No one wants to be on ticket duty. You have to waste your lunch hour doing math and making sure everyone writes down their name beside the ticket number. But I don't mind. I signed up for stuff like this. Besides, I'm getting in free."

"Student council privileges," agreed Pocahontas, high-fiving Melody. "Sorry for skipping out, but I really don't like being stuck in that spot."

Melody laughed. "Don't worry about it."

Mulan dropped her four dollars into the tin and Melody slid a ticket across the table. "Do you know the drill?"

"I know the drill." Mulan scribbled her name beside her designated ticket number already listed in the notepad. "What are you going to the dance as?"

"A mermaid," answered Melody.

Mulan furrowed her brow. "I thought I heard that Ariel was going as a mermaid."

Melody grinned wickedly. "Yup. Unknown to her I'll be stealing her idea. I'm exploiting my Annoying Cousin privileges."

…

"So, are you going to the Halloween dance?"

Rapunzel twisted a strand of long blonde hair around her finger. "I don't think my mother would agree to that," she replied with a downcast look.

Anna looked at her friend in sympathy. "I thought she was getting better at letting you go out into the world."

"So far, school is the only part of the world she's letting me see. And she's still not happy about that." Rapunzel leaned against her locker and rested her chin against her knees. "I don't think I'm ready for dances, either. I'm not the most coordinated person in the world."

Anna laughed. "Look who you're talking to. I tripped down the stairs yesterday. Story of my life."

Rapunzel grinned. Her grin quickly turned into a grimace of pain when something hard struck the side of her head. _"Ouch!"_

Vision blurring, the blonde slunk to the tiled floor, gripping her now pounding head. Anna picked up the soccer ball that rolled by her feet and glared up at the offender, who was jogged over. "Nice one, Rider."

"I didn't mean it!" exclaimed Flynn, shooting a glare over his shoulder at his snorting friends. Aladdin and Jim held on to each other, laughing madly.

"Ow," whimpered Rapunzel, gingerly prodding the sore spot on the side of her head.

"I'm so sorry," apologized Flynn. "Those jerks threw off my aim."

"You don't have any aim!" jeered Jim.

Rapunzel lifted her head and green eyes met dark brown. Flynn blinked down at the slender blonde for a moment before a charming grin slid across his face. "I don't think we've met. I'm Flynn, Flynn Rider."

Rapunzel blushed under his intense gaze. "Rapunzel," she introduced shyly. "And don't worry about it."

"You're the new girl, right? I've seen you around. How're you liking DC?"

"I like it a lot," said Rapunzel, with perhaps too much enthusiasm.

"Come on, Flynn!" cried Aladdin. "We don't have time to stand around watching you harass another girl!"

"Excuse them. They're losers. But I do have to go. Maybe we'll see each other at Masquerade Madness. I'll be sure to save a dance." Flynn winked, took the ball from the strawberry-blonde and strode off to his friends, leaving behind a flustered Rapunzel.

"He's really cute," she finally managed to get out. "Maybe I will ask Mother if I can go to the dance."

Anna looked at her friend with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Of all the guys to be crushing on, it had to be Flynn Rider."

…

"Sofia, pass me the glitter."

The brunette looked at her best friend. "Marie, you've already used three tubes of glitter on your costume. Use any more and it'll turn into a disco ball."

"There's no such thing as too much glitter," said Marie firmly, leaning forwards and plucking a tube of pink from the pile of crafts supplies resting between the two of them.

The two girls were in the art room of the elementary wing, putting the finishing touches on their costumes. Due to the messy nature of their work, they opted to finish their Halloween outfits at school, to save the maids of their respective mansions the work of sweeping up stray pieces of glitter and dried glue from their wooden floors.

Plus, they were trying to get Toulouse to reveal his costume, but the artistic genius stuck to his tradition-no one would get to see it until Halloween.

"Finished!" Marie exclaimed proudly, smoothing out her costume so that it was flat. She brushed her snow-white hair away from her sweaty face. "What do you think?"

Sofia had to admit that Marie was right in adding as much glitter as possible-it looked fantastic. "It's so pretty. How about mine?"

Marie studied her friend's costume. It was elegant and fun, which pretty much described the brunette. "Graceful. We are so going to win the costume contest."

_"In your dreams!"_ hollered Toulouse from the back room, where he was working in secret.

"We really don't stand a chance," said Sofia gently.

Marie pouted. "Then why do I even bother?"

Rafiki, who was supervising them, clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Don' worry about your brother. He has his gifts, as you have yours. Both of your costumes will be unique in their own way. One is not better than the other."

_"Mine lights up!"_

Marie glared at the door. "Yeah? Well, mine sparkles! So _nyeh!_"

Rafiki shook his head in amusement. "Ah, siblings. You hold a most interesting relationship."

"Tell me about it," muttered Sofia.

She finished sewing a few more feathers onto the hem of her costume. As she added the last one, a sudden yelp came from inside the back room. Toulouse thrust open the door a second later, his face flushed and red hair stuck up at odd ends. "Professor, I ran into a problem…"

"Let's see if we can turn this problem into a gift," replied Rafiki, and the two disappeared into Toulouse's temporary workroom.

"Lights up…" mused Marie. "Huh. Maybe _he's _the one who's dressing up as a disco ball."

"Hey, guys!"

The two girls turned to see the Kingston twins at the door. James grinned cheerfully at them. "What are you doing?"

"We just finished our costumes." Sofia gestured to the items lying between them.

"I don't even know what I'm going to dress up as," muttered James, rubbing his head thoughtfully. "Maybe a knight…or a dragon!"

"You two should do a theme costume!" exclaimed Marie, pointing at the siblings.

"I don't dress up," said Amber shortly, though she eyed Sofia's and Amber's beautiful costumes with longing.

"It'll be fun," persuaded James, nudging her. "We'll go trick-or-treating, get candy, we may even win the costume contest!"

_"No you won't!"_

Marie rolled her eyes. "That was my brother, and ignore him. You guys will have the cuteness factor working for you-twins dressing up in themed costumes? You'll definitely win the group category."

"You could be a prince and princess," suggested Sofia.

Amber glanced over to the brunette. "With a tiara?"

Sofia smiled. "The shiniest tiara we can make. I'll help."

"Ditto," said Marie. "You already look like a princess, anyway. We just have to dress you like one."

"Okay," agreed Amber, swayed by the compliment and promise of shiny accessories. "I suppose that's acceptable."

"Do I look like a prince?" asked James hopefully.

Marie grinned mischievously. "Actually, you look more like a jester. But that's okay. I've been known to work miracles."

"Hey!"

…

The best night of the year had finally arrived-or at least, the best night of October. It was Halloween night, and slews of kids were already storming up to houses, waving plastic pumpkin buckets and pillowcases. Jack-o-Lanterns glowed spookily on porches and yards decorated to look like cemeteries dared children to venture towards the front door.

Simba, unfortunately, had yet to begin his Halloween activities. Stuck on the black leather couch in their elaborate living room, he was forced to sit through his parents' lecture.

"Don't leave Pride Street," warned his father, a hulking man with a mane of bright red hair that flowed down his broad back. "There are plenty of houses. You'll have more than enough candy."

"Don't eat anything," added his mother, a slender woman with long pale blonde hair. "We want to check it over first."

"Don't go off alone," continued Mufasa. "Stick with Nala and…who else is going with you?"

"Lilo and Stitch," answered Simba, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Right. All of you keep together. I want you home by ten-it's a Friday, so you can have an extra hour. If Lilo and Stitch need a ride back home, let them know we'll be happy to give them one. Call on the hour every hour."

"I _know_," said Simba. "You give me this talk every year!"

Mufasa crossed his arms. "I'm hoping that one day it will stick with you."

"Can I go now?" pleaded Simba. "The others are probably already waiting for me."

Sarabi smiled. "Alright, you're free to go. Have fun."

Grinning, Simba jumped up, Halloween bag in hand, and tore out of the house. He skipped down the stone steps and found his friends waiting on the sidewalk.

"Aw, you guys match!" said Lilo.

Nala laughed while Simba scowled. "It was her turn to pick out the costumes this year," he grumbled.

The two were dressed up as lions. They both wore beige shirts and pants (or in Nala's case, a skirt) that was covered in fake fur of the same colour. Manes of bright red and gold hung around their necks and tails were fastened to their butts. Lion ears were attached to headbands that rested on their heads.

"You guys look great too," complimented Nala.

Lilo wore her hula outfit-grass skirt with a red strapless top that bore her midriff. Her face was painted completely white, with drops of blood dripping down her cheek. She wore a rubber axe so that it appeared to be embedded in her long raven hair.

"I'm a dead hula girl!" she said cheerfully. "Stitch is a mummy."

The bandaged-wrapped boy waved stiffly. "Ooooooh," he moaned creepily.

"What's the curfew status?" asked Simba seriously.

Lilo smiled. "Stitch is sleeping over, and we're supposed to be back by nine. Nani works until eleven. We're good. Our neighbour is supposed to come check on us, but she's old and never remembers. Nani doesn't know that, of course."

"We're good to wreak Halloween havoc!" Simba pumped his fist in the air. "Let's hit the houses!"

The group of four trooped down the street, rapping on doors and singing _trick or treat _in unison. Soon their bags were loaded up with candy, ranging from chocolate bars to bags of colourful gummies. They reached the end of the street by nine and Simba beamed.

"We have a full hour to engage in Halloween dares. This is going to be awesome."

"Or extremely dangerous," a voice piped up behind him.

Simba whirled around. "Who's that?" he demanded, squinting into the darkness.

Someone stepped into the glow of the streetlight and the brunette smiled. "Don't you recognize your old Reading Buddy?"

Simba relaxed. "Hey, Sofia. Course I remember you."

"_You_ were the one helping _him_ read when it was supposed to be the other way around," laughed Nala.

"Getting a good candy haul?" asked Marie, joining Sofia along with a pair of blondes. "We definitely are."

"Loaded up," agreed Lilo, hefting up her pillowcase. "I like your costumes."

Sofia was dressed as a swan, her white dress covered in soft feathers. She wore white leggings and white flats. Marie's blue dress was covered in coloured stripes that represented the colours of the rainbow. Each stripe bore a thick layer of matching glitter. In addition to the bright dress, she wore rainbow leggings, blue sneakers with coloured laces and a white bow with coloured polka dots.

James and Amber were a prince and princess, respectively. James wore a green blazer over a white button-down shirt, a blue tie, black slacks and black polished shoes. A gold, jeweled crowd sat upon his blonde hair. Amber wore a yellow, sparkly gown with matching flats and a slimmer, more dazzling crown.

"Thanks." Sofia grinned. "We made them."

"Your brother's costume is awesome, by the way," Simba said to Marie.

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Please, no talking about my brother."

"It was a great robot costume," said Sofia. "Probably the best there is."

"Considering he used over a dozen LED lights to make the stupid thing light up, I'm firm in believing that he used the shine to make everyone so impressed."

Sofia smirked. "Right, because _you _didn't abuse any sort of bling or shine whatsoever."

"You're the new kids, right?" Nala asked, the question directed towards the twins.

James nodded. "Yup. I'm James, and this is-"

"I can introduce myself," cut in Amber, rolling her eyes. "My name is Amber."

"Simba, Lilo, Stitch," said Nala, pointing at each respective person, "and I'm Nala."

"What are you guys up to?" Marie asked.

"We're about to get into a dare contest," answered Simba.

"And that's our cue to get the heck out of here. See ya!" Marie waved as she strode off for the next house.

"Don't get into trouble," warned Sofia, hurrying after her friend.

"Can I play?" James asked hopefully.

"Sure. The more the merrier," said Simba brightly.

"James!" hissed Amber.

"Go with the girls." He waved his sister off. "I'll meet you where we started in time for pick-up."

Scowling, Amber reluctantly hurried after the two girls. James bounced on his toes in excitement. "What's first?"

"Well, since Halloween is Lilo's thing, I thought we could let her give the first dare," suggested Simba.

Lilo grinned. "I've got the perfect one-I dare all of you walk through the graveyard."

Simba paled. "Oh, crap."

"Let's move!" ordered Lilo, and they trooped off, Simba lingering behind.

"Me and my stupid ideas."

After a few blocks, they soon came upon the large stretch of land, filled with a variety of tombstones. There were no streetlights on the dirt path winding through the graveyard, so everything was pitch dark. Lilo lingered near the iron fence, watching as the others filed through the open gates.

Simba hesitated, heart pounding nervously. "I can't believe I'm doing this. What if they rise from the dead?"

Lilo rolled her eyes. "If zombies were going to appear, they would have done it way before now."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

Not wanting to be a wimp, he crept in. Eyes darting about nervously, he soon realized that everyone else had vanished ahead in the shadows. "I'm in a graveyard…on Halloween night…no one should ever be in a graveyard on Halloween night. That breaks every horror movie rule in existence."

The limbs of the surrounding trees creaked lowly, and the breeze caused leaves to fly past his face, making him jump. Visions of zombie rising from the dirt, skin hanging off of their bones and eyes rolled up into their heads filled his mind as he stumbled along, heart in his throat.

_There's no such thing as zombies, there's no such thing as zombies, there's-_

A dark figure suddenly jumped through the bushes that separated the graveyard into sections. As the figure lurched for him, Simba screamed, _"ZOMBIE!" _and flung his candy bucket with everything he had.

It struck the target in the head, chocolate bars and wrapped hard candies flying everywhere. The figure dropped to the ground with a howl of pain and the weapon he was holding clattered to the ground. Once it hit the grass Simba was suddenly thrown into a bright light. Squinting, he realized that the weapon was a flashlight…and the figure was a police officer.

His friends came charging towards him, having heard his scream. Nala's eyes widened when she spotted the unconscious police officer. "What did you _do_?"

"I thought he was a zombie!" cried Simba, feeling sick to his stomach.

Lilo groaned. "I _told_ you, zombies don't come out-"

"Never mind that!" said James, eyes wide. "We have to do something!"

"Run?" suggested Stitch hopefully.

"We can't do that," said Nala firmly. "This is serious. The nimrod _assaulted _a cop."

"I thought I was fighting for my life!" protested Simba.

"Jumba's gonna kill Stitch," groaned the dark blue-haired boy in dismay.

Lilo winced. "Nani's gonna ship me off for sure."

"Dad's definitely going to fling me back into private school," whispered James. "I've never gotten into this much trouble before. Amber's never going to let me hear the end of it."

"Right," decided Nala. "You guys have way more to lose than we do. Take off."

"But it was my dare idea!" said Lilo.

"We can't leave you here," agreed James.

"Sure you can. It was Simba's idea to have this contest, and it was him who slugged a cop. I'm stuck here due to best friend obligation. We can take the heat."

"Yeah," confirmed Simba. "But if we don't come to school next week, we've been shipped off to military school."

"Get going!" Nala said, shooing her friends off.

"We'll totally make this up to you," said Lilo feelingly.

"You rock!" said Stitch, looping Simba and Nala into a hug before hurrying off with Lilo.

"You guys are cool," said James, casting the two a grateful smile before following the pair.

The group disappeared, leaving behind the sixth graders. The police officer stirred then, brown eyes blinking dazedly. He stared up at the two kids and the eyes narrowed. "You two are in a lot of trouble."

Simba heaved a sigh. "Story of my life."

"Happy Halloween to us," muttered Nala.


	12. Masquerade Madness

**I do not own Disney anything…or any **_**Annie **_**songs.**

**Masquerade Madness**

"_Drizella! Give me back my pearls!"_

"_Lay off, Anastasia! They're _mine!_"_

Cinderella rolled her eyes at the sounds of her stepsisters at their usual bickering. The blonde was on her hands and knees, scrubbing at the tiled kitchen floor with a scrub brush. The metal bucket beside her was filled with murky, soapy water. "Cleaning floors at seven in the evening," she grumbled under her breath. "On a _Friday _evening, at that."

She supposed she should have been used to a nonexistent social life by now. Ever since the passing of her father (and that was a good ten years ago) she'd been treated by her step-relatives as their own personal maid. She cooked, she cleaned, she sewed and she did errands every available moment when she wasn't at school.

And it sucked.

"It's a hard knock life, for us," she sang softly, swinging the brush back and forth in front of her in a wide arc. "It's a hard knock life, for us. No one cares for you, a-" The sound of feet falling towards the kitchen caused her to stop her little tune and swing her head to the kitchen doorway. "The floor's wet!" she warned.

Drizella and Anastasia ignored her and stormed past. The redhead's high-heel covered feet immediately lost traction on the tiled floor and she took a spill, colliding into her sister as she fell forwards. The two girls ended up in a shrieking heap on the floor and Cinderella sighed in exasperation, sitting back on her feet to wait out the oncoming slew of insults.

"You tripped us!" accused Drizella, wrestling out from under her sister and getting to her feet. She smoothed out her long green dress and glowered at the blonde through her bejeweled masquerade mask. "I'm telling Mother!"

"I didn't do anything," protested Cinderella. "I told you the floor was wet."

"You did not!" snapped Anastasia, scanning her outfit for any imperfections. "You set us up!"

The two girls wore identical dresses, heels and masks, the only difference being the choices of colours. Drizella wore her favourite colour green while Anastasia stuck with her trademark pink. Cinderella thought wistfully of the varieties of masks and styles of dresses she could have at her disposal. But no, while her sisters went to Masquerade Madness to have fun she was getting prune hands.

"You're lucky nothing happened to this dress," growled Drizella.

"It's only water, it's not going to hurt you," said Cinderella, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice. "Besides, you have a dozen green dresses just like that one."

Anastasia crossed her arms. "She's just jealous."

"Right," deadpanned Cinderella. "Whatever you say."

"Let's get out of here before her we catch her loserness," sniffed Drizella.

"Don't let the door hit you on your way out," Cinderella called after them in her sweetest voice.

The door slammed shut with a violent _bang_. The blonde was about to return to her work, but before she could pick up the brush her stepmother walked in, with much more grace than her daughters did. A purple cloak covered most of her burgundy dress and her purse was held tightly in one hand.

"Stepmother," greeted Cinderella politely. "Are you going out?"

Lady Tremaine nodded stiffly. "I will be across town at a gathering. Be sure that the dishes and floor are finished by tonight. And lock up those animals of yours."

"Of course, Stepmother. Shall I have a cup of tea waiting for you when you get back?"

"If you manage to remember," she said coolly, walking by her stepdaughter and leaving through the kitchen door without another word.

"Goodbye to you too," Cinderella muttered after the door slammed shut once more.

Heaving a sigh, she continued to scrub, slowly crawling across the floor after each area she finished. After a while, she felt a pair of eyes on the back of her neck and she glanced over her shoulder, spotting her stepmother's infernal fat cat watching her lazily from the kitchen doorway. Her eyes zeroed in on his paws, which were covered in mud. He must have just come in from the barnyard.

Her blue eyes shot up to meet wicked yellow. "Don't you dare," she snapped, levelling a finger at the cat. "I mean it!"

She swore he smiled at her as he stood up and walked leisurely across the white tiles, staining them with clumps of mud. He walked all the way over to the living room doorway, where he settled down on the wooden floor to watch her.

"You're evil," she informed him with a scowl. "It's times like these where I want to retrain Bruno to be mean to you again."

Lucifer the aptly-named black cat only swung his tail lazily. Heaving a resigned sigh, she backtracked, cleaning up the splotches of dirt left by the devilish feline.

Just as she chucked the dirt-caked brush into the bucket of brown water, a heavy banging fell on the kitchen door. Arching an eyebrow, Cinderella stood, her knees cracking painfully as she did so. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think?" came a familiar shout.

Surprised, Cinderella cast a glance at the microwave clock. The green numbers informed her it was past eight. Going over, she opened the door and stepped to the side to let her best friend enter. "Belle, what are you doing here?"

"I've come to rescue you," the girl declared.

"Come again?"

The gown-adorned girl thrust a duffel bag into her friend's arms. "I took the liberty of making a costume for you."

"Belle, I appreciate this, but I can't go," protested Cinderella. "I have to finish my chores!"

The brunette placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, fine. What do you have left to do?"

"The dishes, and I have to empty out the bucket, clean the brush, and I have to clean up Lucifer's paws _and _I have corral all my animals."

Belle smiled. "Then it's teamwork time. I'll do the dishes, bucket and brush. You get your animals ready for the night."

Cinderella stared at her friend in exasperation. "Belle, I _can't _go."

"Why not?"

"You know I'm not allowed to go to these things. Stepmother is determined to make my life miserable. Besides, Anastasia and Drizella are there."

"You'll be wearing a mask," dismissed Belle. As further incentive, she added, "And Charming will be there"

A blush crept across Cinderella's cheeks at the mention of her long-time crush. "Yeah…that's true…"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Belle grinned. "I know we're not ones to break rules, but there's no way I'm spending another Halloween without my best friend."

Heart pumping in sudden excitement, Cinderella deposited the duffel bag on the counter. "Let's do it!"

As Belle started on the dishes, Cinderella quickly cleaned up Lucifer's paws (managing not to get scratched up in the process) and darted outside.

Beside the modest dwelling that was their home was a wooden barn and chicken coop, which she had taken care of with her father. Among the animals kept were some chickens, her horse Major, her dog Bruno, a group of mice that her stepmother and stepsisters did not know were there and a trio of bluebirds that arrived one day and never left. It had taken much pleading and begging to convince her stepmother to let her keep the animals, and she took great pains not to give Lady Tremaine any reason to send them away.

Once her animals were fed and in their shelters for the night, Cinderella hurried back inside and took a moment to lock the cat-flap. _No more muddy paw-prints tonight, Lucifer._

Snagging the duffel bag, Cinderella went upstairs. She dropped the bag onto her bed and took a quick shower. Blonde hair plastered to her back and towel wrapped tightly around her body, she eagerly opened the bag to see what costume Belle had gotten her.

A surprised gasp escaped her lips upon pulling a sparkly ball gown out from the depths of the bag. Accompanying the dress was a set of long white gloves, a white jeweled tiara and a pair of glass slippers.

Belle appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Do you like it?"

Cinderella answered by rushing at her friend and enveloping her in a tight hug, eyes welled with tears. "I love you."

Belle squeezed her back just as tightly. "I love you too."

"This didn't cost you anything, did it?"

The brunette gave her friend a playful shove back. "Can't you just accept a gift?"

Cinderella shook her head in awe and picked up a glass slipper. "Where did you get these?"

Belle tilted her head to the side. "Actually I don't know. I just found them in my attic with the rest of my costume supplies. It was really weird. I've never seen them before tonight, but once I saw them I knew they'd be perfect for you. Now get ready! We've got a ball to go to!"

…

"I am going to kill you."

Melody only smirked at the fifteenth utterance of her cousin's favourite threat. She was wearing an orange sleeveless dress that had tightly bunched frills and ruffles at the bottom, so that it closely resembled a mermaid's tail. Her long raven hair was splayed across her back and half of her face was covered by a mask covered in orange seashells-her personal creation.

"Come on, both of you look great," Flounder said in what he hoped to be a pacifying manner. Although not one for dances, he allowed himself to be dragged out by his best friend, dressed in a dark blue tuxedo with a matching sleep mask (with holes cut in for his eyes).

"Well, we definitely look better than you," Ariel conceded.

While she was still miffed that her little cousin copied her idea, they were dressed differently enough so that it wasn't obvious. Her dress had a dark green bottom, flaring out while covered in sparkly jewels. The top of the dress was coloured purple, with a deep neckline and short sleeves. Her bright red hair was held up by a purple clasp and her mask was covered in shiny green scales.

Flounder was not bothered by this jab. "I told you I didn't want to come. But you insisted. So I did what I could on such short notice."

"Are those slippers?" asked Melody, peering at his feet.

"Yup. If anyone asks, I've decided I'm the Sandman."

The trio approached the gymnasium, where the dance was being held. Melody passed right by the line, and when the crowd booed she called back cheerfully, "Student council privileges!"

Ariel rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "She's impossible."

"Runs in the family," Flounder muttered under his breath.

They reached the entrance, flashed their tickets to the teachers-as-bouncers, and filed into the heavily-decorated space.

Ariel whistled. "Wow. They really went all out."

Various elegant colours of cloth covered the ugly beige walls. Fairy lights decorated the stage and curled around the metal beams of the high ceiling. A long table was set against the back wall, covered in Halloween-themed goodies, like pumpkin spice cookies and small bat-shaped sandwiches. The DJ on the stage was dressed as Zorro, and the music blared through the speakers.

The lights in the gym were dimmed, offering enough of a low glow for people to dance their way around the glitter-covered floor. Girls wore dresses and gowns that sparkled and shone. Guys wore tuxes that ranged from elegant to simplistic. And everyone was wearing a mask.

"Do you see Eric anywhere?" Ariel asked her friend softly, eyes scanning the crowded gym.

Flounder gave her a blank stare. "Yeah. Because it's not like every guy in this place has their face hidden, or anything."

"Oh…yeah." Ariel grinned sheepishly. "Well…it's not like I'm even remotely ready to talk to him or anything." Spotting Melody near the food table with Tiana, the redhead snagged Flounder's hand and dragged him over. "Hey, guys. You did a great job."

"Thanks," said Tiana.

Melody shook her head. "She's not even close to being relaxed," she informed. "Which is silly. It's just a dance."

"A lot of work went into this dance," defended Tiana, her white-gloved hands smoothing out her green gown.

"And it's great," repeated Ariel. "You always do a good job."

"Who put the lights up there?" Flounder asked, pointing towards the ceiling.

Tiana and Melody shared a smirk. "Naveen," Tiana answered. "And he wasn't happy about it."

"I would have done it," the fearless and youngest Triton family member spoke up, "but I had to go home and get changed."

"Yeah, and then Dad had to bring your butt down here." Ariel crossed her arms. "Maybe we'll just leave without you."

"Uncle Trev wouldn't do that," dismissed Melody. "He loves me."

As the music transitioned into a sweet melody, a chorus of gasps sounded, causing everyone to see what the cause of the awed noises was.

Ariel's eyes tripled in size at the gorgeous figure framed in the doorway. "Who. Is. That?"

The white, sparkly ball gown reached the floor, but when she moved you could clearly see the glass slippers attached to her dainty feet. Her blonde hair was tied to the top of her head in a bun, long white gloves stretched up her arms, a white jeweled tiara and matching mask sparkled brightly, bringing out the pair of blue eyes that stared out at them.

"She looks familiar," said Tiana, squinting thoughtfully.

"Look at Charming," Ariel said suddenly, gesturing across the gym.

The tall, dashing senior Charming Kingly shook off the vice-like grip of the Tremaine sisters and went straight across towards the new arrival. Even though half of his face was hidden, his eyes shone with interest. Approaching the blonde, he held out his hand in invitation.

After a beat, the girl accepted.

"Oh my gosh," squealed Melody softly. "It's like a fairy tale!"

Ariel put her hands on her hips. "And where is _my _fairy tale?"

"Don't be bitter," said Flounder. "It's unbecoming."

Ariel shot him a withering look. "I sometimes wonder why I chose you to be my best friend."

As everyone focussed on the graceful, swaying couple, no one noticed as Belle slipped in, a bright smile on her face as she watched her best friend have the night of her life.

…

"I don't think I know you," Charming spoke during their sixth dance, finally coming out of his enchantment with the new girl. "Do you go here?"

Cinderella felt her heart beat, and this time, it wasn't from excitement. She did not think this through-she could not reveal herself, not when Anastasia and Drizella were ten feet away giving death glares. She also wasn't brave enough to just give her name. The only reason she was dancing with him right now was because she was confident behind her curtain of mystery.

"Yes," she answered, not wanting to lie.

"What's your name?"

Cinderella bit her lip. "It's…It's…uh…"

They swung by Anastasia and Drizella, and she was brought out of her panicked thinking by their conversation.

"This dance sucks. Why are we staying?"

"He'll ditch her soon enough," Drizella said stubbornly.

"They've been dancing for almost an hour."

"He'll get sick of her soon. Anyway, what did the text from Mother say?"

Cinderella felt her heart freeze. _No._

"Her little party was a bust. She's on her way home. Hope Cinderella got her work done-_not_!"

As her stepsisters cackled, Cinderella felt sick. She would be in so much trouble if she was busted, it wasn't even funny. Abruptly pulling away from Charming, she said hastily, "I have to go."

She took off as fast as she could.

"Wait!" Charming called after her. "Please wait! You must at least tell me your name!"

Cinderella cast glance over her shoulder and saw he was in pursuit, with everyone else seemingly frozen in place.

_This can't be happening._

She darted out the gym doors, one of her glass slippers flying off as she went. Knowing she wouldn't have time to go back for it, she kept going.

She only stopped running when she burst into the dark night, alone and panting. Belle came hurrying up after, eyes wide. "What the heck was that?"

"Does anyone know it was me?" Cinderella demanded.

"No, the DJ suddenly declared that the Masquerade King and Queen needed to dance-and that's Naveen and Tiana. It obviously wasn't a democracy vote, she's ticked, and-"

"Share the story later," said Cinderella, flapping her hands nervously. "I overheard my stepsisters-Stepmother is on her way home_ now_."

Belle gaped. "Oh."

"She's gonna kill me. I'm not allowed to go anywhere. I _need _to get home!"

"Relax, I'll drive-"

Belle pointed towards her car and stopped when she discovered a bright blue SUV parked directly behind her own vehicle. "Well. This is not ideal. What jerk couldn't swing around to look for a free parking space?"

Cinderella nearly dropped to the pavement in distress. "The world hates me."

"Is there a problem, girls?"

Cinderella glanced up to see the white-haired, short, kindly guidance counsellor standing before them. "I don't have a ride," she informed sadly. "And I really need to get home."

"Is that all, dearie? I can give you a lift!"

Eyes wide with hope, Cinderella clasped her hands together. "Miss Godmother, would you?"

"Of course! I'll have you home in a jiffy!" Fairren 'Fairy' Godmother said cheerfully. "Let me just get the car and swing it around here."

"Forget about my knight in shining armour!" breathed Cinderella. "I have a fairy godmother!"

Belle laughed. "I wonder how many times she's heard that one. Listen, I'm going to head back in, dispel any suspicion if it comes up. You okay?"

"Ask me that question tomorrow."

"It'll be fine. Night!"

Cinderella waved as her friend disappeared into the building. _Well, this was definitely an interesting night, _she thought. _Only got to be here for an hour-but then again I got to dance with Charming for an hour straight. Something that's only ever happened before in my wildest dreams. _

A blissful smile curled across her face. Maybe she wouldn't ever get to really be a couple with her long-time crush, but she would treasure this night forever.

As a pair of headlights came in her direction, a sigh of relief escaped her. She would make it home in time, maybe even get the kettle started, and pass it off like she was going to have a cup of tea herself.

As she went over to the passenger side door, a cop car came speeding down the street. She squinted at the back window, the street light throwing two faces into clarity.

"...why are there two kids in the back of a police cruiser?"


	13. Operation: Tale of Two Turkeys

**I do not own Disney anything, or Hacky Sacks.**

**There is a main office of Disney Central, located in the entrance hall of the school. Both Hook and Jafar have their own offices inside the main office. **

**Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in America!**

**Operation: Tale of Two Turkeys**

"We've been too quiet, men. We need to have some fun."

Aladdin paused in his aimless activity of tossing his purple Hacky Sack up and down. He cast a wary glance at one of his best friends. "Flynn, every time you say that, we end up getting into trouble."

"That's what he needs to be happy," said Jim lazily from his position against his locker, eyes closed with his head resting against the metal door and legs splayed out before him. "I don't think he knows how to behave for more than three days."

Flynn stopped his thoughtful pacing and cast a glare at the long-haired male. "Excuse me, Mr. Official Juvenile Delinquent?"

Jim opened one eye with a scowl. "Okay, it was only for three months, it was two years ago and I still beat myself up for it."

"I would too if I had hotwired a mini-van for a joyride," agreed Flynn.

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "That is totally not the lesson that's supposed to be taken from that experience, goof."

"Come on," whined Flynn. "We've been decently behaved for a week!"

"You call starting a paper ball war in math class decent behaviour?" asked Aladdin.

"I can understand why he might have reservations," continued Flynn, pointing at Jim. "He's got his mother to answer to. You, on the other hand, have no reason to worry. We're orphans."

Aladdin wrinkled his nose and tossed his Hacky Sack at his friend's head, only for the projectile to be dodged. "Gee, thanks for reminding me."

"He doesn't want to stir up too much trouble because he's trying to get in good with his woman," teased Jim.

The Arabian boy blushed. "Not true! She's not my woman!"

Flynn smirked. "But you'd like her to be."

Aladdin groaned and slouched against the wall. "Shut up. You want to do something exciting? Fine. What?"

Flynn held up his hands dramatically. "Picture this! We get a turkey and let it run wild in the school-or at least in the cafeteria."

"A turkey?" repeated Jim. "Any particular reason why?"

"In honour of Thanksgiving, of course. It's a week away."

"Pretty sure what you want to do isn't in the spirit of Thanksgiving," said Aladdin, though his brown eyes glinted with amusement.

"It's also a good month of detentions ahead of us when we get busted," warned Jim.

Flynn put his hands on his hips. "How come it's always '_when' _and not '_if'_?"

"Please," he snorted. "We always get busted."

"Yeah," agreed Aladdin. "I don't think we've had a clean break away since…well, never."

"There's a first time for everything," said Flynn optimistically. "Are you guys in or what?"

"Duh," responded Aladdin.

"Ma's going to kill me, but that's not new. Let's do this," replied Jim with a grin. "But there's one problem."

Flynn looked at his friend in confusion. "What?"

Jim rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Where are we going to get the turkey, dummy?"

"There's gotta be a farmer kid in this school. Doesn't Cinderella own a bunch of animals?"

"Chickens," informed Aladdin.

"How do you know?" asked Jim.

"She sells their eggs at the Harvest Market sometimes. I've had to pick up a few for our matron, Miss Baskett. Of course, Flynn conveniently disappears every time we need to run errands."

Ignoring the light jab, Flynn shook his head. "Nah, it's gotta be a turkey. If we can't find a fellow peer to help us out, we'll hit up an elementary kid."

Aladdin crossed his arms. "I don't like how that sounds. Rephrase."

"We'll ask around the elementary school to see if there's a farmer kid with turkeys. Is that better?"

"Much," confirmed Aladdin with a cheeky smile. "Thank you."

The bell rang, the _clangs _echoing down the halls. Doors swung open and kids streamed out, chatting with one another as they hurried to their next period.

Jim sighed and got to his boot-covered feet. "Come on, losers. We need to get to class before Chief makes turkeys out of _us_."

…

The trio spent the entirety of the next day asking around, seeing if any of their acquaintances knew any farmer kids. But out of the few farmer kids they were directed to, none of them owned any turkeys.

"This is ridiculous," grumbled Flynn, sitting dejectedly on the front steps of the school. The day was over and kids were spilling past, backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"Thanksgiving is next week," reminded Aladdin. "Some people go for the whole kill-your-own-turkey thing."

"And sometimes farmers will only supply a certain amount of turkeys, if they don't have them usually," added Jim.

Flynn pursed his lips stubbornly and glared up at the grey sky. "I need a Thanksgiving Miracle!"

Aladdin started to roll his eyes, but stopped when something caught his attention. Awed, he tugged on the collar of his friend's shirt with one hand while pointing with the other. "There's your miracle."

Flynn followed the finger, which indicated a lanky blonde boy leisurely making his way down the sidewalk. Attached to his red backpack was a green square patch, which depicted a red outline of a barn with the words _Future Farmers of Central Disneyville _in white thread. Eyes wide with delight, he sprang up and rushed after the boy.

Jim watched him go, eyebrow raised with skepticism. "What are the chances this kid lives on a farm with turkeys?"

"We're about to find out," responded Aladdin.

"Hey, kid! Wait up a sec!"

The blonde paused in his stroll and glanced over his shoulder. A puzzled expression crossed his face when the tall teenager hurried up to him. "What's up?" he asked cautiously.

"I saw the patch on your backpack-farm kid, huh?"

Bewildered, the boy nodded. "Yeah. Caer Dallben-it's on the outskirts of town. Why?"

"I have a very important question to ask you-do you have any turkeys?"

"We got a couple left," he answered. "We're mainly a pig farm, though."

Flynn grinned widely. "You just made my day. Flynn Rider."

"Taran Calder," the boy introduced. "You need a turkey for Thanksgiving?"

"Ye-"

"_No," _cut in Aladdin firmly, coming over to the pair with Jim following behind. "Not for Thanksgiving-for a prank."

Flynn groaned. "Al, you're killing me."

"Hey, it'd be different if it was one of our own peers-we can mess with them. But I want the kid to know what he's agreeing to."

Taran tilted his head to the side. "I'm lost."

"We need the turkey for a prank," clarified Jim. "We're gonna set it loose in the school."

For a brief moment, Flynn feared that the boy would turn them down. But a sudden gleam entered his gaze and he stared at the trio of teens eagerly. "Hey, I got a math test tomorrow! Think you could set one off in the elementary wing?"

Flynn laughed and clapped the kid on the shoulder. "I like how you think!"

Taran smiled sheepishly. "I don't have the guts to do it myself. Pop would kill me. _But _if I didn't happen to know what you wanted to use it for…"

"Then you wouldn't get in trouble," finished Aladdin. "See, you were probably a good kid. Three seconds with Flynn and now you're corrupted."

"I've got a devious side," responded Taran. "I just don't show it often. But there is one slight problem. If you're not going to be able to guarantee that the turkeys will get back to us, then you're going to have to pay for them."

"How much?" Aladdin asked warily.

"Sixty bucks," said Taran, and smiled apologetically when the three teens groaned. "Sorry, but if you want two, that's a hundred and twenty bucks down the train if we lose those turkeys. And trust me, my Pop knows exactly how many we have. He's going to miss them."

Flynn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, I have an idea. We get the turkeys from you, keep it in Jim's truck, set them loose during-when's your math test?"

"After lunch," answered Taran promptly.

"That works. We'll set the first turkey loose in our wing five minutes before the lunch bell in the cafeteria. Five minutes after the lunch bell rings, we'll sneak over and let it loose in the math room in the elementary wing. Which one are you in?"

"Room M71," said Taran.

"Get to class early and open a window," instructed Flynn. "One of us will sneak the turkey in. The teachers will probably round up the turkeys, keep them in the staff room or the office until they can figure out what to do with them. We'll sneak them out through the window and store them in Jim's truck, and he'll bring them back to you."

Aladdin smiled. "Windows are our best friend."

Taran nodded. "Sounds good. You can pick them up now, if you want. I can give you the address."

"Or we could give you a lift," suggested Jim. "Moronicus over here made you miss your bus."

Taran blinked and stared at the curb, where he realized that the yellow vehicle was long gone. "Oh. Yeah. That'd be nice. I'm not supposed to get rides from strangers, though. Are you strange?"

"Little bit," admitted Flynn.

"But we're not gonna pull over to the side of the road and slice you to bits," added Aladdin. "We're miscreants, not sociopaths."

Taran laughed. "I didn't think so. Let's go. Pop will be in the barn now, so he won't be around to see us sneak some turkeys."

They started for the high school parking lot, where Jim's beloved black truck was parked. Aladdin glanced at the kid walking cheerfully ahead of them before eyeing Flynn. "We're corrupting children now."

"Nah, we're just asking for a favour. We'll totally owe him one." Flynn's shifted his eyes distractedly. "Hmm…we're gonna need a crate."

…

Seven minutes before the end of lunch the following day, Jim was lugging the crate towards the exterior of the cafeteria. His eyes darted back and forth across the parking lot, but it was empty. "Ssh," he hissed to the squawking pair of turkeys inside the box. "You'll be out soon! Keep your feathers on!"

Approaching one of the many cafeteria windows, he crouched down and set the crate by his side. He pulled out his phone and texted Flynn, _'__Is the coast clear?'_

A beat later, he received the answer, _'__Good to go.' _

Knowing he would need to be quick, Jim flicked his hood up to cover his face, slid the window open, snagged one of the turkeys (who immediately began flailing about) and all but threw it into the cafeteria.

He was gone in an instant, crate tucked back under his arm, but he could hear the shrill screams and hollers coming from the packed eating space.

Flynn leaned back casually in his chair, in the very back in a shadowed corner of the room so that he could observe without being noticed.

It was beautiful chaos.

Girls were screaming, standing on the tables and clinging to each other. Others were tossing food at the turkey, attempting to lure it over, so that the floor was now covered in splotches of tuna casserole and chunks of meatloaf.

The members of the football team were trying to catch the bird, but the turkey was dodging every grab and darting under tables and around legs, squawking madly. The players slipped on the food and rammed into each other.

Flynn tried to keep the wide grin off of his face as he glanced at the staff table. The teachers were standing, watching to see if the group of athletes would be able to snag the troublesome creature. Iago had immediately left to patrol the grounds, to see if he could find the culprit who had thrown the bird through the window.

Jafar was stock-still, staring at the display with cold eyes. Flynn slunk back further in the shadows, lips finally curling into a smile.

He knew his principal was looking for him and his pals. They were always the top culprits. But he needed Jafar to believe none of them were present at the moment. If he was spotted alone, then that would be even more suspicious-he was rarely apart from Aladdin and Jim unless they were pulling a prank, and Jafar knew this.

When it became apparent that the athletes would not catch the frantic bird anytime soon, Jafar smacked the bottom of his gold cobra staff against the tiled floor, and that was all it took to send the students into silence. The girls stopped screaming and stared at their principal with wide eyes. The football players froze in place, arms outstretched. The turkey, less agitated now that everything had calmed, slowed its pace, eyes darting around nervously.

Sensing the opportunity, Cinderella shot forwards, arms wrapping tightly around the bird. It started its flailing again, but with the girl's deadlock grip, it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Thank you, Miss Tremaine," said Jafar softly. "Mr. Mellis will escort you to my office. Keep it there and ensure it does not escape until I figure out what to do with it. You'll be excused from your afternoon classes."

Nodding, Cinderella and Hercules filed out with the turkey in tow.

Jafar slowly surveyed the other students, still frozen in place. "For the rest of you, class will be delayed by twenty minutes. That should be enough time to get this place into shape."

Everyone quickly got into action, using their napkins and trays to scrap up the blobs of food. Flynn glanced at the clock hanging above the cafeteria doors and pulled out his phone.

'_Let's get our boy out of that math test.'_

On the other side of the school, Aladdin's phone beeped when the text reached him. The crate resting beside him, the Arabian boy grinned and crawled out from behind the bushes where he had been hiding. Vice-Principal Iago had passed by a bit before, and it had taken much grain to keep the turkey quiet.

He peeked through the window Taran had opened a few minutes before class. The group of seventh graders were staring at their tests papers, pencils moving at varying paces. "Turkey away," he whispered, taking off the lid and sending the turkey through.

The screams started instantly, and the turkey squawked in fright, waddling madly around the room. "What in the world?" bellowed Bagheera. "Where did this turkey come from?"

"How peculiar," mused Alice Kingsleigh, resting her chin against the palm of her hand and watching the bird in interest. "Perhaps it wanted to learn how to divide fractions."

"_Ouch!" _Izzy Pratt yelped as the turkey used her head as a launching board, ripping out a piece of brown hair in the process.

"Everybody out!" ordered Bagheera, pointing towards the door. "Go to the library while I deal with this. And if I find out that one of you was responsible, I promise you won't like the consequences."

The group of seventh graders immediately darted out of the room, the last person closing the door firmly behind them. Taran shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and tried not to grin. His best friend, however, saw right through him.

"You didn't!" she gasped.

Taran blinked. "I didn't!"

When Eilonwy gave him a look, he smiled sheepishly. "I may have just supplied the turkeys. I wasn't the one who set them loose…and maybe I didn't know what they wanted the turkeys for."

"Your father is going to kill you," she warned.

"If they find out where the turkeys came from, yeah. If all goes well, I'll get the turkeys back and won't get busted."

"You're not that lucky."

Taran flinched. "Thanks for the support."

Bagheera eventually managed to corner the turkey and catch it. Panting from the effort, he left the classroom and started for the office, passing his charge and his best friend on the way. Mowgli stared at the bird in his guardian's arms. "Uh…that's not going to be our Thanksgiving dinner, is it?"

The dark-skinned man gave him a sharp frown. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?"

"No!" exclaimed Mowgli. "Shanti and I had an errand to run for Professor Mushu. We're not _always _the cause of something weird happening in this school. Try Simba."

"He and Nala are already in deep trouble, thanks to their little Halloween escapade," said Bagheera dryly. "I sincerely doubt they'd risk getting into further trouble."

"You want some help?" asked Shanti, pointing at the thrashing bird.

"I'll be fine, thank you. The two of should get back to Geography."

"Alright. Good luck."

The two continued on and Bagheera adjusted his grip on the bird, managing to get to the office without losing it. When he entered, he spotted two high school students standing diligent guard in front of the door of Jafar's office.

"Another one?"

Bagheera glanced up as James Hook stepped from his office. "You mean to tell me there's more than one of these things running around?"

"Two that we know of. In the elementary wing, I suppose?"

He nodded. "Where shall I put it?"

Hook gestured towards his office. "In here. It would not be wise to put the two together-they might rile each other up. I will inform Jafar of this. Where is your class?"

"I sent them to the library."

"You can collect them. I will take care of this."

Bagheera nodded. "Thank you."

He placed the turkey into Hook's office, shut the door behind him and left. Hook turned to the two students. "Miss Tremaine, would you mind standing guard over here?"

"Of course, sir." Cinderella moved over to her new post. "I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't break anything."

Hook nodded curtly and left, starting his search for Jafar. Cinderella glanced at Hercules, who was now smirking. "Any clue who did this?"

"Come on, who else could it be?" laughed Hercules. "The three guys who were nowhere to be seen when this was going on."

"Point," agreed Cinderella, thinking of the Troublesome Trio. "Where do you think they are now?"

Hercules grinned. "Let's just say it's pointless for us to be standing guard."

Frowning, Cinderella suddenly realized that the turkey was no longer making any noise. She threw open the door and found the office empty. She stared at Hercules with wide eyes.

"We are so dead."

"Hey, it wasn't our fault. They're just that good."

Cinderella shut the door and blinked. "So…what do we do?"

The secretary walked in just then and Hercules immediately informed, "The turkeys are gone."

The woman's face fell. "What happened?"

"Someone must have gotten through the window." Hercules shrugged. "Can we go?"

"I suppose," the secretary agreed. "There is nothing to guard, after all. I will inform the principals immediately."

"Thanks," called Cinderella as the two departed.

When they were out of earshot, Hercules grinned. "Those three are in so much trouble."

The three in question were currently stealing across the parking lot, crate containing the two worked-up turkeys in tow. In an attempt to keep them quiet, Jim took some grain out of the pocket of his leather jacket and poured it through the crack in the wood.

"Can't you shut them up?" whispered Flynn as they crept between the cars and kept low to the concrete.

"Trying," grumbled Jim, adding more food.

They reached a small burgundy car and Jim handed the crate to Aladdin so that he could unlock it. "If Ma ever found out you drove her car, she'll kill you. Well, after she kills me for letting you."

"I turn seventeen at the end of the year," returned Aladdin. "I'm almost close to getting my full license."

"Not our fault you failed a grade," added Flynn. "But I'm glad you did. We wouldn't have met if you were smart."

"Shut up." Jim rolled his eyes and shoved the crate between the driver seat and the backseat. He poured more food through the crack, pried the lid to the side to let in some more air and rolled the windows down a smidge. "There," he said, shutting the door and locking it.

"I'm glad your mother chose the tinted-window model." Flynn grinned.

"You're just lucky she's on a work retreat and won't get back until late. You're also lucky she decided to carpool."

"Let's move before we're busted over here," suggested Aladdin.

The trio moved back towards the building. "Now all we have to do is give Taran a lift after school," said Flynn cheerfully.

"We're not out of the woods yet," warned Aladdin.

"He did have the genius idea to bring a 'storage car'," pointed out Jim. "And I don't hand out the word _genius _lightly, especially directed towards _Eugene._"

Flynn scowled at his friend. "In three hundred and sixty five days, you will no longer be able to call me that. It will be legally changed, and Eugene will be no more."

"Ooh," muttered Aladdin, getting the attention of the other two. "Get ready for interrogation."

The three males glanced towards the doors leading to the cafeteria, where Jafar and Hook stood, stiff and eyes narrowed.

"Hey, Chiefs," greeted Jim.

"Where are the turkeys?" demanded Jafar.

"What turkeys?" Aladdin asked innocently.

"We don't know anything about any turkeys," added Flynn.

Hook crossed his arms. "It seems mighty suspicious that you're out here instead of in class. Not to mention that no one saw you during lunch."

"We wanted to talk a walk," replied Aladdin. "Get some air."

"We're also not known for our punctuality," added Jim.

Jafar crossed his arms. "Ababwa, Rider, class. I'll escort you to make sure you get to where you're supposed to. Mr. Hook, please have Hawkins show you the interior of his vehicle."

Jim crossed his arms. "Don't you need a warrant for that?"

Ignoring him, Jafar strode off with the two males in tow. Hook gave Jim's shoulder a firm nudge, and the boy led the man to his truck. He opened the trunk and opened all the doors, leaving the inside open for inspection.

Hook examined the seats, underneath the seats and the trunk intently. When it was obvious that there were no poultry being harboured in its depths, he gave his former student a suspicious look. Jim only smiled innocently. "Is that it? Can I go to class now?"

"Go," said Hook curtly. "But if we find any evidence that you were responsible for the little episode this afternoon, you'll find yourself in detention until you graduate."

"Uh…right," said Jim. "Later, Former Chief."

He made tracks for the school, allowing the grin to finally surface.

_Whattaya know? We actually got away with it. It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!_


	14. Close Call

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**A short chapter, as I wanted to do a quick check in with Mulan. I'm thinking of doing a Christmas chapter where it snows really hard and the kids are trapped at Disney Central for the night. I **_**hope **_**to do it for Christmas, but it may come after.**

**So what characters would you like to see during the snow-in? What antics would you like to see?**

**Close Call**

"_Let's hear some roars for our own Disney Central Dragons!"_

The dozens of students and adults lining the stands rocketed to their feet, screaming as loud as their vocal cords would allow. Mulan-as-Ping jogged towards the benches, sticky with sweat and panting heavily. The cool November air was doing nothing to cool her heated flesh. And the thick padding and helmet didn't help much, either.

"Dude, you _rule_," said Hercules in awe, taking off his helmet and shaking out his matted red hair.

"Thanks," said Mulan in her deep voice. "You guys were great, too."

"Please," snorted Yao. "We haven't come this far since you've joined the team."

"I think we did fine without him," said Gaston testily.

Yao smirked. "Aw, is the wittle quarterback upset that he's getting outshined on the field?"

Gaston scowled, but before he could retort Shang came up, shooting them both a stern glare. "Enough. We won, and we did it as a team."

"Of course, Mr. Sportsmanship," said Yao.

Phil blew on his whistle sharply, and the members of the football team gathered around their coach. "Okay, the finals are coming up, and I think we actually have a shot at winning the whole she-bang. So keep up whatever you're doing."

"Which means you're not allowed to leave," put in Ling, pointing at the new wide receiver. "Like, ever."

"I gotta admit, kid, you got some moves," said Phil. "Thanks for making the decision to try out for our team."

Mulan tried very hard not to blush, since she figured that it wasn't something football players did. "No problem. It's been great."

"We got a practice Tuesday evening. If you miss it, I'm coming after you. Hit the showers, you all look horrible."

Before Mulan could make her usual slip-away, a heavy arm landed around her shoulders, steering her towards the locker room. "I've been thinking," said Gaston casually as they followed the crowd of football players.

Mulan attempted to shrug off the arm, but Gaston kept a firm grip. "That's a dangerous pastime."

"I know," answered Gaston idly. "But I've noticed that in the time you've been on the team you've never stepped foot into the locker room."

"Yeah, well, I'm not much of a locker room person."

"Self-conscious about your body, eh?"

"_No," _said Mulan, a little bit too quickly. "I just-"

"I understand how hard it must be to turn out so under average," continued Gaston, ignoring his teammate. "Especially when you're put against such an outstanding specimen like me. But it's not very masculine to avoid the locker room. So I'm going to give a little push to help you overcome your problem."

Mulan's eyes grew wide as they approached the doors. "No, no, that's okay, I really have to-"

With a sharp shove she was sent stumbling into the room. Shang turned around and arched an eyebrow. "Look who finally decided to join us. Your locker is right there-if you need a lock, I have a spare."

He turned around to stick his gear into his locker, leaving Mulan a brief moment to collect herself after seeing the football captain shirtless. She hurried over to her locker, wrenched the door open and hid behind it, knowing her face was flaming.

_He looks really, _really _good._

Taking a deep breath, she slowly took off her helmet and touched her cheek. It was warm. If anyone noticed, then hopefully she could pass it off as being hot from the game.

Stuffing the helmet into her locker, she took her time pulling off her cleats, her sports bag hanging over her shoulder. She normally left it underneath the benches and would snag it after the game and get changed either in the school or at home.

_What am I going to do?_

Dropping her sports shoes to the bottom of her locker, she opened her duffel bag and stared inside. She only had female clothes and a towel, for the days when she needed to shower and change at Pocahontas'.

_Crap._

She stared at Phillip's feet and was relieved to see the hem of his jeans hanging over the edge of his white socks. She wrapped her feminine garments up in the towel, took out her sneakers (which were hand-me-downs from her male cousin anyway) and put everything else in her locker, closing the door as tightly as she could. Keeping her gaze to the ground, she sidled up to Phillip, who had just wrestled into his shirt.

"Phillip?"

He glanced at her. "What's up, Ping?"

"Is anyone watching?"

Blinking, he glanced around, but none of the guys were looking at them. "No…" he said slowly.

Mulan reached up and moved the locker door so that it blocked them from the others. "I am about to tell you something that _needs _to be kept between us."

"Okay…is it going to freak me out?"

"Most likely." Mulan took a deep breath and dropped her man-voice. "It's me, Mulan," she said softly.

Phillip's yelp of shock was quickly muffled by Mulan's hand. "Be quiet! If anyone else finds out, I'm sunk!"

Face pale, the teen could only gape at his friend. Mulan muffled a groan and removed her hand. "Look, I'll explain everything when we get out of here. But I need you to come up with a story or distract them or something. I only have my clothes, and I think they're going to know something's off when I walk out wearing a green blouse."

Phillip ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Holy crap."

Mulan scowled. "Phillip!"

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed. "I'll…I'll do something. But you totally owe me an explanation later."

"Of course," she agreed. "Thank you!"

While Mulan expected distraction, she was not expecting what happened next. Phillip marched over, grabbed Yao's gym bag, and took off out of the change room, leaving an underwear-clad Yao to stare after him in shock.

"_Hodge! Get back here!"_

Left with little option, Yao took off after his friend, towel wrapped around his waist. Laughing and cheering, the rest of the football players hurried after the two to watch the show, some wrestling into pants and shirts as they went.

Soon Mulan was the only one left in the locker room. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rushed into the bathroom and closed herself into a stall. "I so owe you one, Phillip."

She got out of her fake muscles and sports clothes and stuffed them into her bag. She slipped on her green blouse, jeans and her sneakers. She let her hair down and hastily ran a brush through it. She then wiped off the makeup using the damp sheets Charlotte had given her.

When she was all done, she hurried over to her locker and shoved her bag inside. She couldn't carry it with her without it looking suspicious. She noticed that Shang's locker was still open and she found his spare lock sitting at the bottom shelf. She snagged it, sparing a moment to smell his cologne, and firmly fastened her locker shut.

_I'll figure out how to get my stuff back later…at least before Tuesday's practice._

She ripped off the small piece of paper attached to the back of the lock, which detailed her new combination. Taking a quick breath, she glanced towards the door to ensure she would not be intruded upon.

_Okay. Time to get out of here._

Not wanting to leave through the front entrance, she went back into the bathroom and opened the window. She hoisted herself through and tumbled to the bushes below. Springing quickly to her feet, she made her way casually over to the field, eyes darting back and forth to ensure no one had spotted her.

Pocahontas was in the empty stands with Aurora and Charlotte, watching Yao chase after Phillip in amusement. The rest of the football team were gathered at one end of the field, shouting encouragement to the fleeing teen.

"Do you have something to do with this?" the Native American asked accusingly.

Mulan winced. "Yeah. Gaston pretty much dragged me to the change room, so I had no choice. I needed a distraction, so I had to tell Phillip."

"At least I won't have to keep it a secret anymore," said Aurora, who had been informed of Mulan's scheme a while ago. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't tell anyone."

"I trust him," said Mulan confidently. "But there's a slight problem."

"What?"

"I had to leave my bag in my locker, or else everyone would have noticed."

Aurora smiled. "Don't worry. Give me your combination and I'll give it to Phillip. He'll snag it for you."

There was a shout, bringing the girls' attention to the field. Phillip had thrown Yao his bag and was now hightailing it to the parking lot. Mulan sighed and collapsed against the stands in relief. "Your boyfriend rules."

The blonde smiled fondly. "I know."


	15. Snowed In at Disney Central

**I do not own Disney anything, **_**Jingle Bells, It's a Small World After All**_** or **_**Charlotte's Web**_**.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

**Snowed In at Disney Central**

Half listening to Skully's lecture, Lilo idly drew monster snowmen in the margins of her notebook. Stitch sat beside her, black eyes glassy as his mind wandered elsewhere.

"So that covers the previous set of chapters that you _should _have read," said Skully, casting a pointed glance at James, who grinned sheepishly. "Any questions?"

He received a bunch of blank stares in return. "Didn't think so. Now for your holiday homework-"

The group of fourth graders immediately launched into whines and howls of protests. "That's not cool!" cried Pinocchio Marchi, his lips formed in a pout.

"What kind of a Christmas present is that?" complained James, and flinched when his sister elbowed him sharply.

"I object!" said Lilo, smacking the palm of her hand to the tabletop.

Skully held up a hand and the kids reluctantly fell silent. "How many years have you gone to this school?" he asked.

"Four," most of the group answered, with Amber and James piping up with, "Four months."

Skully smiled. "Alright, you're the exception," he directed to the twins. "But the rest of you-how many times have you gotten holiday homework?"

"A lot."

"How many times have you thrown a fit?"

"Every time."

Skully crossed his arms. "And how many times have your protests resulted in no homework?"

"Never," came the sullen response.

"Exactly. So can I try this again?"

The fourth graders exchanged glances with each other, sagging in defeat. "I hate being nine. No one listens to you," muttered Lilo under her breath.

"Continue," called James.

"Thank you," said Skully sarcastically. "Your holiday homework is to write a three page review of _Charlotte's Web_. This includes a five sentence summary, personal thoughts, important points on character development, lessons this novel taught you and a three sentence conclusion." He turned to look at Lilo. "Verdict?"

The Hawaiian girl pursed her lips in thought, studying her English teacher intently. "Double spaced?"

"Double spaced," confirmed Skully.

Lilo nodded in satisfaction. "Then I guess it's not so bad."

Cubby Tilney shook his head, for he knew his foster father would make him go beyond three pages and go the extra mile. Glancing towards the window, his blue eyes grew wide at what he saw. "I think Mother Nature is mad at us."

Everyone turned to see what caught his attention. "Oh no!" exclaimed Amber, staring in horror at the white vortex swirling around outside, so thick that it nearly impossible to see the playground that was situated on the other side of the window.

"What do you mean, 'oh no'?" asked her twin, a bright grin on his face. "We're going to get a white Christmas!"

Amber rolled her eyes. "Christmas is still almost three weeks away, first of all. Second, even if this snow lasts until Christmas, we're going to get stuck at school first! No one is going to drive in this mess, not even Baileywick."

James turned to look at the clock. It was an hour until school let out. "Oh. Well, maybe this will stop soon."

"I don't think so," said Skully, brow furrowed. "Central Disneyville hasn't had this bad a storm in a long time. We're due for one."

Annoyed, Lilo slapped her notebook shut. "Great. Fantastic. So much for decorating the Christmas tree tonight."

Stitch scowled, not at all content with the prospect of spending a night stuck in school. "Nala queesta."

…

"Karma," said Aladdin certainly. "We're getting a good dose of karma right now."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Al, this is not karma."

"Oh yes it is. We get away with a great prank and we're being punished for our misdeed."

"It's just a freak snow storm," said Flynn in exasperation. "Since when do you get paranoid over the stuff we pull?"

"Since we got off scot-free for the turkey thing," returned Aladdin. "We always get busted for the stuff we do."

"Well, if you keep opening your big mouth, we'll definitely be busted," said Flynn in annoyance.

"Will you dorks be quiet?" hissed Malina, who sat behind the Troublesome Trio with Belle and Cinderella. "Some of us are trying to do our work."

"Don't know why you're rushing," said Aladdin miserably, opening his medieval history textbook for the first time that class. "We're going to be stuck here all night anyway."

Cinderella stared wearily at the snowy tornado happening outside. "I know who's going to be doing some shovelling after this ends."

"I'm gonna need that shovel when you're done with it," spoke up Jim, head in his hands. "How am I gonna get my truck out of the parking lot after this?"

It was then Merlin glanced up from his book. A white eyebrow arched in amusement upon finding most of his students either transfixed by the snow storm or talking lowly with their friends.

"Ahem."

Heads whipped around to look at him and Flynn hastily took his booted feet off the table.

"Is anyone actually working on the reflection questions?" asked Merlin.

"Haven't even started reading the chapter," said Flynn.

"Just opened the textbook," admitted Aladdin sheepishly.

Merlin shook his head. "Let's try to get back to work, shall we? To know our history is to ensure we don't repeat past mistakes."

"I'll tell you what I learned from my mistakes," grumbled Jim, staring at the first paragraph of the chapter. "Keep a snowbrush in the backseat and put on snow tires _before _December hits."

…

The announcement came five minutes before the final bell.

"_I'm sure by now you've all noticed the storm happening outside. Due to the amount of snow, the buses are unable to arrive. We are also not sending walkers home for your own safety. Until the storm dies down and the roads are cleared, no one will be stepping foot outside these doors. In other words, Disney Central is snowed in."_

Even from his office, which was located in the main entrance, Jafar could hear the collective groan of despair coming from hundreds of juvenile and adolescent throats.

Hook stood in front of the large office window, watching the heavy snowfall. The glowing multicoloured Christmas lights hung around the window illuminated his grim expression.

"Get to work on sending out the automated message informing parents of our situation," Jafar ordered the secretary. "We need them to know as soon as possible."

The secretary nodded and set about her task. Jafar joined his fellow principal by the window. "The teachers can handle the students for a few more minutes. Iago and Hector are out ensuring that those on spare don't try to slip out. We have a few urgent matters to deal with."

Hook nodded. "Such as the all-important question-keep the students separated or merge them together."

"I think it would be wise if we kept them separated," said Jafar. "It may be easier to keep an eye on them while they're all together, but it would also give me a migraine."

"We'll keep the students separate, then. What will we do with the scallywags for the night? The gymnasiums are not built to withhold warmth."

"The cafeterias. We can clear out the tables and spread out gym mats."

"And we needn't worry about them starving. Our kitchens are always fully stocked, the spoiled brats."

"Let's deliver the plan, then. The janitorial staff can work on removing the tables, and I am sure I can get the football team to help transport the mats."

Hook arched an eyebrow. "I do not have a football team."

Jafar smirked. "Then you're going to have to find some other kind of student labour, I'm afraid."

…

"Snowed in," groaned Marie, resting her head against her desk. "Do you know how horrible my hair looks in the morning? No one needs to see that."

Sofia shook her head. "Well, look at it this way-better now than the day before Christmas vacation."

"True," agreed Marie.

The P.A. system crackled to life and Hook's voice boomed throughout the elementary wing. _"The eighth graders are to report to the gymnasium immediately. Everyone else, go to the cafeteria, where you will await further orders."_

"I think he sometimes forgets he's a principal for elementary students and not in the Navy anymore," muttered Berlioz.

"Alright, you heard him," called Mushu, clapping his hands. "Move it, people."

"We have to spend all night in the cafeteria?" complained Toulouse.

"We're a school, Picasso. Not a five-star hotel. Get your artsy butt moving."

The group of second graders filed into the hallway, joining the flow of elementary students. Michael held on tightly to Ranjan's hand, an anxious expression on his face. "I want Wendy."

"Don't worry, this'll be fun," said Ranjan, attempting to soothe his best friend. "Once we get to the cafeteria, we can look for your brother, if you want."

"_Heads up, we're moving on through!"_

The crowd parted to let the eighth graders move past, carrying thick blue mats. "Yeah, definitely not getting my beauty sleep," sighed Marie.

"It's like being in a prison," remarked Lilo as she got bustled beside Marie. "Sleeping on hard mats and being watched over by the guards."

Simba snorted from behind them. "Please. This is the closest thing to freedom we've gotten ever since Halloween."

"And that's sad," grumbled Nala.

"I will always remember your sacrifice," promised Lilo.

Marie shook her head. "Your fault for getting into a dare contest."

Soon enough, everyone was packed into the elementary cafeteria. The tables and chairs were stacked against the walls. The kids clumped together on the hard tiled floor, talking lowly with each other and watching as the eighth graders brought in the mats. When the large pieces of fabric were piled high in one corner of the room, the eighth graders dropped to the floor in exhaustion.

When every teacher and student was gathered, Hook strode in with Hector Smee trailing behind him. Surveying the large crowd, the principal took his place at the front of the cafeteria.

"I know this situation is not ideal. But we will have to adjust. You will be spending the rest of the evening in here. You will not leave the cafeteria without first asking permission from a teacher, who will escort you. You are only allowed to leave for the washroom or to retrieve something from your locker. Other than that, this will be your quarters. I will be back in a while to ensure everyone is still in line."

A silence descended upon the crowd as the principal and vice-principal of the elementary wing departed. The silence was broken by Mowgli's blunt, "Well. This sucks."

…

As the junior students were forced into their cafeteria, the senior students were forced into theirs. Annoyed grumbles filled the air and Rapunzel slumped beside Anna, her face pale. "Mother is going to be so worried."

"She'll understand," said Anna, leaning against her backpack. "I mean, it's not like we have any other option. She'll be glad you're not allowed to venture out in this weather."

"She's still going to worry. And while she's worrying, she's going to come up with a list of reasons of why going to public school was a bad idea. Do you know how long it took for me to convince her that I'd be fine?"

Anna grinned and rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry. You're not going anywhere. I'll make sure of it."

Rapunzel smiled gratefully. "Thanks. But I'm a little nervous. I've never actually spent a night away from home before. Sad, huh?"

The strawberry-blonde waved a hand dismissively. "Not at all. This'll be fun. A great big sleepover."

"I wouldn't mind a sleepover with you beautiful ladies."

Rapunzel turned red as Flynn dropped down beside them, Jim and Aladdin in tow. "Hi."

"Hi yourself." Flynn smiled. "It's been a while."

"I'm keeping her away from your bad influence," said Anna dryly.

Aladdin and Jim snorted. "Good call," snickered the Arabian boy.

"What's your excuse?"

Aladdin whipped his head around to see Jasmine standing behind him, a hand on her hip. "J-J-Jasmine!" he stuttered, face red. "How are you?"

"Well, I had an evening of Christmas shopping planned, but that's now out the window. I'm not entirely content with the idea of spending the night here."

"Al's over the moon," said Jim idly, and avoided the punch his friend threw at him.

Jasmine rolled her eyes, managing to quell her own blush. "You guys are so immature."

Flynn frowned. "We are not immature."

"Sending a turkey into the cafeteria is pretty immature," drawled Anna.

Rapunzel looked surprised. "That was you?"

A sheepish expression crossed his face. "Well, yeah. But it was in the spirit of Thanksgiving."

Jasmine snorted. "That had nothing to do with the spirit of Thanksgiving."

"That's what I said," exclaimed Aladdin.

"Yet you still went along with it," pointed out Jasmine.

Aladdin shrugged feebly. "I mean…it was funny…and the turkeys are fine."

"You can do so much better," Jim informed Jasmine, and this time he couldn't escape Aladdin's punch.

"You guys aren't going to do anything tonight, are you?" asked Anna warily. "If you are, I'd like to be prepared."

Jim, Aladdin and Flynn exchanged glances. "It'd be a horrible missed opportunity," mused Flynn, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Jasmine shot Anna a weary look. "Thanks for giving him an idea."

The girl gave a shrug. Rapunzel stared at Flynn curiously. "What are you going to do?"

Flynn leaned back and stared out the window, watching the swirling snow. "I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for an indoor snowball fight."

Anna heaved a sigh. "Me and my big mouth."

…

"I am sooooo bored," groaned Mowgli, slouched against the portion of wall that was underneath the vast cafeteria windows.

Shanti rolled her eyes and glanced up from her book for the umpteenth time. "We are stuck in _school_. Not an arcade. Not a movie theatre. A school. What do you expect?"

"I don't know. But if something exciting doesn't happen soon, I'm going to die of boredom."

"Be careful what you wish for," warned Shanti. "We got a crowd of characters in this school-including you."

"I've been good since school started," protested Mowgli.

"Mostly to my good influence."

"Whatever." Mowgli pouted and crossed his arms. "Where's cable television when you need it?" His eyes swept through the crowded cafeteria and fell upon one of the most notorious troublemakers of Disney Central-or at least, the elementary wing. "Simba!"

"Yo!"

"Entertain us!"

The golden-skinned boy glanced at the fifth grader, who was located across the room. "_Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh what fun-"_

"No, no, no," interjected Lilo, waving her hands in the air. "I'm sick of Christmas songs. They've been playing nonstop since November!"

"Um, okay. _This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends-"_

"Don't," snapped Zazu, shooting Simba a deadly glare, "even start."

Simba went silent for a moment before starting up another song. _"It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all-"_

"_No!" _shouted the entire junior student body hollered. "Anything but that!"

"That's all I got, then," said Simba.

So another boring hour passed, with the group of kids lounging about, giving their supervisors a moment of rare peace. Suppertime arrived, and the cafeteria workers opened the lunch belt, setting out pots of beans and containers of meatloaf.

"First we're stuck in school during non-school hours and now they're trying to give us food poisoning," said Lilo, reluctantly scooping beans into a paper bowl.

Stitch only grumbled in response, mushing his beans and meatloaf together into one big brown lump. Lilo wrinkled her nose. "You and your iron stomach."

…

As the elementary students reluctantly dug into their dinner, the senior students had yet to see what gruel they would be consuming for dinner. But Peter had an idea of what they would be served, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be anything good.

"Wendy, I've got an idea," he whispered.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I think we should slip into the kitchen and see what they're going to serve us. And if we don't happen to like it, we can change the menu."

Wendy eyed her best friend. "That's good and all, but how are we going to get out?"

"With a distraction," answered Peter.

Without another word to her, he sidled beside Bambi and his crowd with a smile. "Hey, Bambs."

Bambi was instantly on guard. "What?"

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Like?"

"I need a distraction."

Bambi groaned. "Why me? Why not Thumper?"

"Don't drag me into this," said Thumper. "He asked _you_."

Bambi crossed his arms, a wary expression on his face. "Okay. I have an idea. But it's going to cause me pain, future grief for a long period of time, and possibly detention."

Dumbo looked at his best friend knowingly. "You're going to start something with Ronno, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Peter took the boy's shoulders and squeezed them. "I love you."

"You better," grumbled Bambi. "Oh, geez…okay, here I go."

Peter and Wendy quickly slunk as close to the door as they could without being suspicious. Bambi strode up to Ronno, who was sitting next to a not entirely happy Faline. Ronno looked up, his expression turning dark once he saw who it was.

"What do you want, Bambsie?"

"Be nice, Ronno," chided Faline, giving Bambi a warm smile. The boy turned red, and that only angered Ronno more.

"Why?" he sneered. "He's just a loser. Why do you want to hang around him, anyway? You've got me."

"That's hardly a reassurance," said Bambi.

Stiffening, Ronno glowered as Faline gaped in disbelief over Bambi's snide remark. "You trying to start something, dork?"

"No. I'm just being honest. I mean, there's really nothing good about hanging around you. You're a jerk, a bully, and you're obviously not impressing her."

Ronno's eyes flashed. "I suggest you back off before you say something you're going to regret."

_Here we go._

"You mean saying something along the lines of your face being uglier than Alice's Christmas sweaters?"

For anyone who didn't know the airy, peculiar Alice Kingsleigh, they wouldn't understand why this sent Ronno into a rage. But he did, and once Faline could not control her giggles, he shot from his seat and tackled Bambi to the ground, face red.

The reaction was instant-students chanted _"fight, fight!" _at the top of their lungs and teachers swarmed for the fighting pair, shouting threats. The attention of all in the room was focussed on Ronno and Bambi, allowing Peter and Wendy to slip out.

"You owe him a magnificent Christmas present," said Wendy firmly as they crept down the hall.

"I know," said Peter. They reached the kitchen door and Peter cracked it open, sneaking a glance inside. Most of the cafeteria workers were up front. Reaching into his pocket, Peter removed his collection of useful materials. Among the collection was a slingshot.

"I need a projectile."

Wendy dug through her own pockets and found an eraser. Peter took it, loaded it up, and aimed it at the back of the kitchen. He let go of the elastic, sending the eraser flying into the stack of pots on the counter. They immediately toppled, starting a domino effect that had clean pots and pans clattering to the floor with a horrendous racket.

As the cafeteria workers hurried to investigate, Peter motioned for Wendy to stay behind. He slipped in, quickly located a bottle of hot sauce in the cupboard, and added hefty amounts to the beans and meatloaf that were waiting to be served.

He returned the bottle and was back outside as quickly as he had gotten inside. "Let's go," he said, and they hurried into the cafeteria, where Bambi and Ronno were finally pried apart by Cogsworth and Frollo.

"You, stay on that side," snapped Cogsworth, giving the bruised Ronno firm shove to the right side of the cafeteria.

"And you, get your behind on the other side," said Frollo sharply. "We'll deal with you two later."

Bambi rejoined his friends. Peter and Wendy sat with them. "Are you okay?" asked Wendy in concern.

The boy rubbed the large bruise on the side of his head. "Fine," he confirmed. "Though I hope what you did was worth my sacrifice."

"We're getting served beans and meatloaf," Peter informed.

"Ugh," gagged Thumper.

"What a night," bemoaned Flower.

"Exactly. So, I may have made the food inedible so that they would be forced to get us the good stuff. So…don't eat it."

A few minutes later, the food was served. Bambi, Peter, Wendy, Thumper, Dumbo and Flower got portions of each, but when they sat down, they made no move to eat it. After a moment, the first group who had gotten their food got hit with the intense burning sensation of the hot sauce.

"_Ouch!" _shrieked Anna, jumping to her feet and dancing on the spot. _"Ow! Ow!"_

"_Son of a gun!" _hollered Meg, practically diving over the table to grab Hercules' water bottle.

"_Too much! Too much!" _wailed Ariel, and Flounder immediately relinquished his juice so that she could ease the burn.

Similar cries were rising up, and those who had not started eating shoved their trays away. Those in line immediately went back to their seats, casting suspicious glances at the food sitting in the belt.

Frowning, John Silver, the head cafeteria worker, leaned over and inspected the food critically. "Someone's put hot sauce in here."

"Great," grumbled Ursula in annoyance. "As if we didn't have to deal with complaining brats enough."

"Put the frozen pizzas in the oven," he ordered. Then he called, "Those with burning tongues, come in here and we'll see what we can do about it."

Dozens of students sprang up and raced out of cafeteria to line up at the kitchen door. Peter smirked and settled back. "Mission accomplished."

"Alright," decided Bambi. "It was worth it. Kind of."

Across the cafeteria, Jim, Flynn and Aladdin were conversing quietly. "Everyone's looking at us," muttered Jim.

"They probably think we did it," said Aladdin.

"First there was the explosion of Jafar's salad, and now this," mused Flynn. "I think we have a new prankster in our midst."

"How can you tell?" asked Jim.

"I have intuition with these things. Well, we can't have them stage us up. We need to get that snow!"

"How?" demanded Aladdin. "The door is guarded again. They're not going to tear their eyes off of us after this."

Flynn scowled. "I don't care what I have to do! I will not be shown up! I will get that snow!"

The second he finished the sentence, there was a tremendous _crack_ as a section of the cafeteria windows shattered from the pressure of the heavy, building snow. Glass and snow poured inside, causing students to scream and run for cover.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" cried Archimedes. "Someone get Jafar or Iago."

A couple staff members quickly left, while the others ensured that all students had gotten out of the way in time. Aladdin stared at the massive pile of snow and turned to stare at Flynn. "Look what you did."

But Flynn was not wasting any time. _"Snowball fight!" _he screamed.

Immediately, the majority of the senior population dove for the snowdrift, scooping up snow and flinging them in random directions.

"Are they crazy?" cried Rapunzel, ducking to avoid getting a snowball to the face.

"Come on!" said Anna excitedly, grabbing the blonde and dragging her over. "Let's build a snowman! We'll name it Olaf!"

The faculty members, knowing it was pointless to intervene with this crowd, sat back and watched, with expressions ranging from annoyance to amusement.

Jasmine shrieked with laughter as she was tackled to the snowy floor by Aladdin. "You are such a jerk!"

Aladdin only grinned boyishly and raced off with the girl in hot pursuit. Faline, Merida and Snow ganged up on Ronno, who was taking the opportunity to exact revenge on Bambi. Tinker Bell threw a hefty chunk of snow at Wendy, sending her flying, though Peter was too caught up in his battle with Thumper and Flower to notice.

"_No one throws snowballs like Gaston!" _boomed the burly student, and soon six teens were struck by Gaston's massive snowball.

"No fair!" cried Mulan, brushing herself off.

"Jerk," grumbled Malina, helping Belle to her feet.

Tiana, who had been watching everything on the sidelines, squealed when a chunk of ice was shoved down the back of her sweater. She wriggled madly to shake the ice out and whirled to glare at her attacker. "You!"

"The one and only," said Naveen cheerfully.

"I'm still mad at you," informed Tiana frostily.

"Come on, it's been over a month since the masquerade ball. I thought it was a lovely dance!"

Though Tiana agreed, she wouldn't admit it. "It was sneaky trick!" she accused.

"Well, now's your chance to get back at me," said Naveen, casually making his way back to the snowdrift.

Tiana pursed her lips, thought and hurried after him. "Let's see how your aim is, Pretty Boy!"

Anna and Rapunzel had just finished constructing their snowman when a soft, _"Cease and desist," _penetrated the joyful noises. At the sight of Jafar, everyone immediately stopped and raced to get clear of the snowdrift.

"Who started this?" he asked in a low voice.

Every finger swung to point at the Troublesome Trio. "They put hot sauce in the food too!" called Anastasia accusingly.

"We did not!" protested Flynn.

"Silence!" hissed Jafar. "The three of you will be separated for the rest of the evening. Hawkins, you will stay in Hook's office. Ababwa, you will stay in my office. Rider, you can join me on my patrol."

"Yes, sir," the three chorused.

"The rest of you can relocate to the elementary wing's gym," ordered Jafar. "Your dinner will be arrive when it's ready."

The senior population groaned. While they didn't have anything against joining the junior students, the cafeteria would be crowded enough. With the rest of the student population, it would just barely pass fire-safety guidelines for the amount of people in one room.

As they all shuffled out of the cafeteria, the lights gave a violent flicker before going out completely, plunging the school into darkness.

"I didn't do it!" hollered Flynn, and unknown to him, Simba was shouting the exact same words over in the elementary wing.

"Just get out of here," sighed Jafar, rubbing his temples. "Rider, stay where you are. The rest of you, light the way with your blasted cellphones."

Obeying, every student (with the exception of Rapunzel, who was not allowed to have a cellphone) pulled out their devices and turned the brightness setting way up, so that they had more than enough light to guide them.

"Well, at least it'll be fun," remarked Hercules as they filed out. "Alice is there. She's more than enough entertainment."

"I put a lot of effort into these Christmas decorations," grumbled Tiana. "There better not be a single blasted bulb."

Jafar wearily stared at his departing students. The senior students and junior students were handfuls on their own. He didn't want to think about what would happen when they were together. So much for Christmas miracles.

"Merry Christmas to all," he muttered sarcastically. Flynn grinned, unable to resist.

"And to all a good night!"


	16. Commencing Operation Sleepover Survival

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Next couple of chapters will wrap up Mulan's football career, as we have reached January in this chapter and I'm sure the high school football season does not go this long, especially in places that get snow. Plus, it gives us a chance to explore other characters-but it won't be the last you see of Mulan, so don't worry. **

**Valentine's Day has passed us over, but that doesn't mean there won't be a Valentine's Day chapter. We'll get there eventually. Since I'm not sure when, we'll get a head start in the voting. **

**What couples would you like to see in the Valentine's Day chapter? **

**Commencing Operation Sleepover Survival**

After spending about a good half-hour in the shower, Mulan turned off the now cold water and pulled the plastic curtain back ever so slightly. Her dark eyes peered out to scan the shower room to ensure it was empty. She strained her ears to see if she could hear anyone in the locker room, but the only sound was the dripping of the water from her body onto the tiled floor.

But she wasn't going anywhere until she got the all-clear.

Letting the curtain fall back into place, Mulan rubbed her arms and shivered. The winter air was causing goosebumps to prickle across her damp flesh, and she thought about the warm clothes stored in her duffel, which was resting in her locker, away from prying eyes.

"Good to go!"

Phillip's shout was music to her ears. A soft _thump _sounded, letting her know that the teen had thrown her duffel bag into the shower room. Mulan snagged her towel from the curtain railing and wrapped it around her body before stepping out. Teeth chattering, she quickly dried off and wrangled into her jeans, dark green hoodie and ratted sneakers.

Duffel bag slung over her shoulder, Mulan stepped into the locker room, where Phillip was waiting for her. "Need anything else from your locker?" he asked.

"No, I'm good."

Phillip snapped the lock shut. He walked outside, did a look around, and motioned for Mulan to follow him. The two made their way across the football field, which was clear of all snow and ice. If Disney Central did one thing extremely well, it was ensure that the football field was ready for every game and practice. If the weather conditions proved to be too harsh, they relocated to the indoor stadium across town.

Despite all the fun she'd been having, Mulan was relieved that the final championship game was in a few weeks. Thanks to Gaston forcing her into the locker room, it was getting difficult to keep her gender a secret. Knowing that she couldn't just linger until her teammates left, she took up the routine of taking long showers, dawdling under the shower nozzle until everyone departed. To prevent someone from taking her bag as a prank, she kept it locked up tight in her locker. When the coast was clear, Phillip would get her bag and toss it to her in the bathroom.

"You really should have brought a coat," spoke Phillip as they headed for the parking lot.

Mulan shrugged, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. "My jackets are all of feminine style. My parents would get suspicious if I went out and bought a new coat when I have a perfectly good one. I'm not exactly a frivolous shopper."

"You can borrow one of mine."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. But I'll be fine. I can't lug too much back and forth. I have to limit things to this one duffel bag."

Phillip shook his head. "I still can't believe you lasted this long without anyone knowing. I can't believe I didn't figure it out."

"I'm glad you didn't," replied Mulan. "It would have meant that the others might figure it out."

"Your parents don't suspect anything?"

"They think I'm in the chess club." She grinned when Phillip snorted. "Yeah. But it's the only thing I could think of. They don't have any tournaments, so they wouldn't be able to come watch me."

"You really thought everything through."

"Not really. I'm kind of just making most of everything up as I go along."

They reached Phillip's car and Mulan slid into the passenger seat. She snapped the buckle into place and leaned back in the seat. Phillip played with his car keys for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I need to tell you something."

Taken aback by the sudden serious tone, Mulan glanced at him. "What is it?"

"There's an annual overnight party for some members of the team, held on the second weekend of January, so we're able to get together before we're swamped with projects, exams and practices. This year, Charming is going to host us. And you're invited."

"Oh. He hasn't said anything."

"Well…he doesn't have to ask. It's mandatory."

Mulan stared. "Mandatory?"

Phillip nodded. "Yeah. No one's ever refused, because who doesn't like a party, but there are punishments for those who decide to skip out."

"You're kidding me."

"Afraid not. You'll probably get the e-mail within the next few days."

Mulan slumped down. "What's the punishment?"

"Let's just say that by the end of it, your gender will definitely be well known. You have better chances if you go to the party."

"You mean sleepover."

Phillip grinned sheepishly. "Well, we don't exactly call it that, but yeah. Don't worry. We'll figure something out."

"Guess we're going to have to," grumbled Mulan, brow creased. "I've come too far to get busted now. Whose stupid idea was it to make this thing mandatory?"

"Um…Gaston."

"The jerk."

…

_To: __**PingtheMan **__, __**GastonRulesAll **__, __**GrecianHerc **__, and __**6 others**_

_From: __**ForeverCharming **_

_Hey guys._

_I'm happy to say that our annual overnight bash will take place at my house this weekend. It'll start at five sharp and you lot can leave anytime the following day. For our new man Ping, rules include no alcohol or other frowned-upon substances and no ditching. My address is 1200 Twilight Avenue._

_Get ready to party!_

Pocahontas swept her eyes over the brief message displayed on Mulan's laptop screen. The two were in the school's senior wing library, taking residence in two of the many cushioned chairs in the very back. "Maybe you should call it quits while you're ahead."

"I can't do that!" cried Mulan. "I'm so far. I can't let this stop me."

The Native American settled back and crossed her arms. "What, exactly, do you plan to do then?"

Mulan rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I was going to use you as a cover."

"Of course you were."

She clasped her hands together pleadingly. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but please!"

Pocahontas sighed. "Nothing I'm not used to."

"I love you."

"You better. So what's the plan?"

"I'm going to tell my parents I'm staying at your place this weekend. You will have my cellphone, so you'll know if my parents text."

"Why will I have your phone?" asked Pocahontas, eyebrow raised.

"Well, I told the guys that I didn't own a cellphone, so that I wouldn't have to give them my number. But I created an e-mail address for Ping, so that they would be able to contact me. I figure it might be easier that way."

"So you can't get caught at the party with a cellphone," clarified Pocahontas.

Mulan nodded. "Which means that if you have to contact me, you'll have to do it through Phillip."

Pocahontas crossed her arms. "You understand that you're going to be the only girl at a sleepover with nine guys."

"Well…they won't know that. I'm going to dive into the bathroom when I have to change into my pajamas. And I'll leave super early."

Pocahontas eyed her friend. "I don't think this thing is going to go as easily as you think it will."

Mulan frowned. "I'm trying to be optimistic. If I think of everything that will go wrong, there's a good chance it will happen."

"I guess you have a point. Phillip's bringing you there, right?"

Mulan nodded. "He said he could give me a ride back, but I didn't want to make him do that. I know he doesn't really want to leave so early. Besides, it's not that long of a walk."

"I can work something out with Dad, if you want," offered Pocahontas, who didn't want her best friend walking through town in the early hours of the morning. "Or you can just come over to my house when you're finished. I'll sneak you in somehow."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that." Mulan smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Pocahontas sunk back into the cushions of the chair with a sigh. "I'll probably ask if Charlotte and Aurora want to come over for our 'sleepover'. I'm going to need someone to comfort me during my nervous breakdown."

Mulan rolled her eyes. "You and your nerves."

"What exactly are you doing?"

Both girls jumped up, Mulan hastily fumbling with her laptop to keep it from falling to the ground. Pocahontas stood up, eyes wide, and Mulan tried to look as innocent as possible, her electronic device clutched to her chest.

"What?" was all Mulan could think to say to her geography professor.

"Don't 'what' me," returned Mushu. The thin man with a long blonde mustache and spiky red hair crossed his arms and glared at his students. "Are your butts supposed to be here?"

"No," said Pocahontas instantly.

"Our butts are supposed in the Computer Learning Commons, working on our research assignment," added Mulan, who was one of the few brave enough to try and out-sass the sharp-tongued professor. "But our butts wandered."

"Sorry," tacked on Pocahontas.

"Sorry," echoed Mulan.

"Your apology, I believe," said Mushu, pointing at the Native American. His finger swung to the smiling Asian American. "You, on the other hand, are full of it."

Pocahontas grinned. "He's got you pegged."

Mulan pouted. "Shut up."

"Separate ends of the Learning Commons," ordered Mushu. "Ten months with you is enough. I don't want to have to deal with you in summer school."

The two girls obeyed, slipping past the man and heading towards the other side of the library, which housed dozens of computer stations.

"He's my favourite professor."

Pocahontas looked at her friend in amusement. "The funny thing is that I'm pretty sure you're his favourite student."

…

At ten to five Friday evening, Mulan stood at the end of her driveway, hands clutching at her duffel bag, which held her Ping disguise and not feminine clothing like her parents believed. To take away suspicion when Phillip came to pick her up, she told her parents that Aurora would be joining them for the sleepover.

Which wasn't entirely a lie. Aurora would be at the sleepover, along with Charlotte. She was the one who wouldn't be there.

Phillip pulled up to the curb and Mulan hurried over. She climbed into the backseat, her duffel bag on the floor by her feet. She hastily waved to her parents, who were watching from the window, and Phillip drove off.

"You sure you want to do this?" asked Aurora in concern, twisting around in the passenger seat to look at her friend. "It could go south really quickly."

Mulan shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice. It's either this or face a punishment, which Phillip assures me is horrible."

"It really is," said Phillip feelingly, navigating through the streets, making his way to Jameson Lane, where Pocahontas lived. "Trust me, she's better off this way."

Aurora sighed and crossed her arms. "If you say so. You better watch over her."

"If there's a severe risk that she's going to get found out, I'll get her out of there and think up excuses later," promised Phillip. "But I really think she's going to be fine."

"And I think he's right," put in Mulan. "I mean, there's only going to be ten of us in total. And all of them are pretty okay-well, with the exception of Gaston, depending on how sexist he feels tonight."

Aurora glanced at her boyfriend. "So, what exactly occurs at one of these 'overnight gatherings'?"

"Also more commonly known as a slumber party," said Mulan in a sing-song voice.

Phillip grinned. "Well, yeah, pretty much. We just sit around, watch movies, play video games, eat junk and have fun."

"I can do that," said Mulan.

They reached Pocahontas' house and Phillip pulled into the driveway. "I'll be right back," the Asian American said, jumping out of the car and hurrying up to the front door.

"See you tomorrow." Aurora gave Phillip a kiss goodbye. "Love you."

"Love you too," returned Phillip. "And don't worry. She'll be fine."

Aurora slung her pink backpack over her shoulder and followed after Mulan. She opened the front door and stepped into the small entry hall. She kicked off her white flats and glanced around. Having never been to Pocahontas' house before, she wasn't entirely sure where to go.

"_Marco!" _she hollered.

"_Polo!" _came the answering cry, coated in a Southern accent.

Aurora cut through the living room, up the stairs and found the door to Pocahontas' room wide open. She stepped inside and set her bag beside Charlotte's on the floor. "As I was coming up here, I realized how embarrassing that would have been if your father had heard me."

Pocahontas grinned. "He's at work, but he'd have been amused. He's witnessed most of Mulan oddities."

"Hey, doll," greeted Charlotte from her place on Pocahontas' bed. "You ready for a long night?"

"Yes. I'm certainly not getting any sleep." Aurora sat beside Pocahontas on the floor.

Mulan soon entered the room in her Ping disguise. She wore a pair of jeans and a red sweater over her Styrofoam muscles. Due to the continuous practice, her makeup job was getting to be as good as Charlotte's.

"I guess if they haven't figured it out yet, they probably won't tonight," said Pocahontas in an attempt to stay optimistic. "Who's going?"

Mulan ticked the names off of her fingers. "Gaston, Yao, Chien-Po, Ling, Hercules, Shang and Phoebus."

"At least it's not the whole football team," said Charlotte.

"I better get going," said Mulan, slinging her duffel over her shoulder. She reached into the side pocket and pulled out a wooden cage.

"You're not bringing Cri-Kee with you," said Pocahontas in disbelief.

"Of course not. So that's why I'm giving him to you." Mulan set the cage on her friend's nightstand table. She poked a finger through the bars and scratched his head, eliciting happy chirps from her pet. "You can channel his luckiness to me."

"Do we have to?" asked Charlotte, not at all fond of bugs.

"He doesn't bite. Be sure to let him out for a little bit-he knows not to go far."

"You trained him?" asked Aurora in awe.

Pocahontas shook her head. "Not entirely surprising. She's trained her dog and horse to do some pretty odd tricks. Why can't she do the same to a cricket?"

"He likes bread crumbs, so you can give that to him for dinner. I also give him cookie crumbs as a treat. If he starts chirping through the night, just put a piece of cloth over the cage. Bye, Cri-Kee. Be good and please send lots of luck my way!"

Cri-Kee chirped in response.

"Good luck," Pocahontas called after her friend as she hurried out of the room.

"Get Phillip to call if you need anything," added Aurora.

Charlotte shook her head. "This is going to be one interesting night."


	17. Operation: Sleepover Survival

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Womanly problems ahead. Yee have been warned.**

**Operation: Sleepover Survival**

As Phillip's convertible rolled towards their destination, Mulan's stomach increased doing nervous flips. She would admit that this was quite possibly the stupidest stunt she ever pulled, and this was saying something. If she got busted, that was it. Game over. There was no way Gaston would allow a girl on the team, especially not a girl who performed better on the field than he did.

"Here we are," announced Phillip, causing Mulan to glance up. Her mouth dropped open and her nerves quickly dispelled upon seeing where she would be spending the night.

"Oh. No way."

Phillip grinned. "I know."

The Kingly household was a towering white mansion, ten times the size of her own modest two-story home and twice as high. The windows were square and of frosted glass, the large double front doors were between two marble pillars that supported the archway above the entrance. Golden gates surrounded the expansive property, with a long cobblestone driveway leading to a four-car garage.

"I knew he was rich, but I didn't know he was this rich!"

"Well, his father is the richest man in Central Disneyville," replied Phillip. "They call him King of the Barons."

"Dang," whistled Mulan as Phillip pulled to a stop in front of the closed gates. "I should get into the oil baron business."

Phillip leaned over and pressed the button on the intercom. After a brief moment Phillip's voice filtered through the speakers. _"No losers allowed."_

"Then we should be the ones kicking you out," shot back Phillip. "We'll let you return when the party's over."

"_I'd like to see you kick me out of my own house."_

"_We'll help!" _interjected Hercules.

"_Shut up, Herc. Alright, come on in."_

The gates parted, granting them entry. Phillip moved the car down the long driveway, where he parked it beside few other expensive-looking vehicles.

"I've forgotten how many people at DC are loaded," mused Mulan as she got out of Phillip's vehicle. "You included."

"I'm not even close to Charming's status," denied Phillip, locking up his car. "We're decently well-off."

Mulan smirked. "No kidding."

They trudged up the salted driveway and climbed the wide stone steps. Mulan pressed the doorbell, and half a minute later Charming answered.

"Hey guys," he greeted, bumping fists with his best friend and clapping Mulan on the shoulder. "Welcome to my crib."

"More like your father's crib," laughed Phillip, stepping into the circular entrance hall with Mulan trailing behind.

Charming smiled, flashing his rather perfect set of white teeth. "Well, he won't be here for two days. So I'm temporarily king of the household."

Phillip kicked his boots off carelessly and they joined the collection of footwear arranged clumsily on the mats near the door. Mulan was gentler, placing her sneakers neatly together. She looked around a bit nervously, mentally praying that she would not be clumsy this night. Everything looked shiny and new and expensive to replace.

Charming noticed her unease. "Hey, mi casa su casa."

"That's all the Spanish he knows," informed Phillip.

Charming rolled his eyes. "Funny. But seriously Ping, I know my father enjoys his extravagancies but don't freak if you break, stain or otherwise mess something up. Gaston's broken a vase or two, and this knucklehead has destroyed his fair share of my father's possessions."

"And he still loves me," said Phillip.

Mulan relaxed at the easy-going, warm smile Charming sent her way. "Thanks," she said gratefully, adopting her 'Ping' voice.

"Of course. So we'll be sleeping in the entertainment room tonight." He paused. "Correction. You'll be sleeping in the entertainment room tonight."

Phillip laughed. "I was about to say. You never sleep anywhere but your Titanic of a bed if you can help it. Come on, Ping. We can go drop off our stuff."

"We're eating in the dining room. Hurry up before Chien Po eats all the wings."

Phillip led Mulan down various corridors before stopping in front of an open room. There was no door and a portion of the walls on either side of the entrance were glass, so that anyone passing by could look through and see what was happening.

"Mr. Kingly regrets this design choice," spoke Phillip as they entered the plush-carpeted space. "At the next available moment, he's adding a door and soundproofing the walls."

Mulan nodded, half-listening as she took everything in. There was a U-shaped leather couch in front of a large plasma screen television set mounted on the wall. A surround sound system was hooked up to the television, two tall black speakers on either side like pillars. A multi-shelf glass unit was below the television and it housed multiple gaming systems and a DVD player. Along the right wall were mounted shelves. On the shelves were a collection of DVDs and videogames. At the back of the room was a cupboard, which Mulan assumed was where the gaming controllers, cords and other accessories were kept.

"Take a picture, it will last longer," joked Phillip.

"Trust me, if I had my phone I would. Pocahontas will not believe this." She glanced up at the teen, reluctant to let her secret-holding duffel bag out of her sight. "You sure I can just leave this here?"

"No one will snoop," promised Phillip. "And if you're worried, you can just leave it under mine."

"I think I'll do that." Mulan dropped her duffel bag and Phillip covered it up with his own bulging backpack.

"Come on, I'm starved."

They trekked down the corridors and soon came to the dining room. There was a long table with a white elegant tablecloth, gold-rimmed plates and glasses and the expensive silverware.

Hercules caught her gaping. "I know, right? These guys don't know the meaning of the word simple."

"This is just the family dining room," added Phillip. "You should see the banquet hall."

"They have all this space and it's really just the two of them, if you don't count their twenty staff," put in Phoebus Sun, casting a smirk at his friend.

Charming held up his hands defensively. "Hey, all this stuff is my dad's doing, not mine."

Phillip went over and sat down beside his best friend. Shang waved Mulan over to sit next to him. Suddenly having the urge to blush, she fought it back as she went over to sit in the white-cushioned dining room chair.

"Glad you could make it."

Mulan arched an eyebrow. "I was told something horrible would happen if I didn't."

Shang had the grace to look sheepish. "That's not my doing. But I can't really do much about it."

"Well, I don't blame you. No one can really tell Gaston _no_ and succeed," she said lowly.

Shang looked at her for a moment before smiling. "Exactly."

Stomach fluttering at his sweet smile, Mulan snagged a greasy slice of pizza from one of the many cardboard boxes sitting in the middle of the table. She crammed it into her mouth and chewed, eyes flickering over to Gaston and Chien Po, who were having a chicken wing eating contest.

"No eats chicken wings like Gaston!" the burly young adult said thickly, sauce dripping down his fingers.

Phoebus shook his head. "Please don't choke. I don't know how we're going to explain it to Coach why you suddenly disappeared."

"I don't think he'll complain," said Yao softly, so that Gaston could not hear. Mulan, who was sitting across from him, grinned.

"Dude," Hercules addressed Phillip. "You're not going to believe what Charming put on display in the showroom."

"Showroom?" echoed Mulan.

"Oh, you gotta see this." Hercules jumped up and Mulan followed after him. They went across the hall and entered a room with an oak floor and golden trim. There were glass shelves and glass antique cases filled with sparkling medals, trophies, crystal figurines and various other collectables.

"Whoa." She approached the largest glass case, which was situated in the middle of the room, and peered at the piece that was obviously meant to be the center of attention. "Is that a glass slipper?"

"Yeah," said Charming, coming into the showroom with Phillip.

"I can't believe you're keeping it," said Phillip in amusement.

"We had a masquerade ball for Halloween," explained Hercules to Mulan. "This girl came in, looking like a princess from the fairy tale books, and Charming instantly asked her to dance."

"Best night of my life," sighed Charming.

Mulan remembered the ball gown-adorned blonde, waltzing around the gym floor with Charming, both of them looking as if they were in a daze. "Who was she?" she asked, though she knew no one at that dance had any clue who that mystery girl was.

Charming shook his head with a small frown. "I don't know. She wouldn't say her name."

"He's been hung up on her ever since," said Hercules. "But no one can help him figure out her identity. It's kind of creepy, how she just came and went like that."

_Interesting, _thought Mulan. _I wonder who she was._

"Hey, Charming!" Ling called from the kitchen. "Phoebus and Gaston are finger painting on the tablecloth with the chicken wing sauce!"

Charming groaned. "Guys, that is not an easy piece of material to wash! Knock it off!"

He hurried back to the kitchen and Mulan chuckled. "This is gonna be a fun night."

Hercules grinned. "You can count on it."

…

Eyes glued to the plasma screen, Mulan engaged in a race against Phillip, Charming, Phoebus and Gaston. Her fingers flew across the controller as she tried to beat past her competitors on the track. Hercules, Ling, Yao and Chien Po were watching a movie on Charming's laptop, sitting at the back of the room.

"Yeah!" whooped Mulan as she crossed the finish line first.

"Okay, you're out," said Charming. "I'm tired of losing."

"Fine by me. It's no fun if there's no challenge. Herc! You want to play?"

"Heck yeah." Hercules sprang up and went over to his friends. Mulan handed him the controller and shifted over so he could sit down.

She felt a sudden sticky, damp feeling when she moved and she froze. For a moment, she thought she was imagining it, but when she stood up she felt the tell-tale trickle sensation down her thighs.

It took everything she had in her not to express the horror she was currently feeling.

_No no no no no no no no._

Trying not to panic, she pressed her legs together in a way she hoped was not noticeable. "Charming?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Is it okay if I take a shower?"

"Sure thing," replied Charming. "Someone showed you where the bathroom is, right?"

"If we didn't, I hope you haven't been holding it all this time," said Hercules.

"Phillip showed me. I'll be back in a bit." She grabbed her duffel bag and walked out of the entertainment room. When she was out of sight of the males, she took off running. She slid into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"This can't be happening," she moaned, wrestling out of her clothes. The jeans, shirt and Styrofoam were thrown into one corner of the marble bathroom. She turned on the water, waited a beat for it to warm up before peeling off her undershirt and boxers. "Aw, _no!_"

There was a large blood stain in her boxers. Heart pounding, she jumped into the tiled shower and stood under the hot water, boxers pinched between her fingers. She held the undergarments out of the spray of the water, and after a moment of thought she leaned out the glass door and laid them out on the toilet seat.

"This is what I get for not keeping track," she whispered. "Of all times for _it _to come, it had to be tonight."

She had no idea what to do. She didn't bring any feminine products with her, and there were no females in the Kingly household. There were female staff members, but they didn't live in the mansion.

"Okay. Trash the boxers, use toilet paper for now, get to Phillip and use his cell to call Aurora."

Phillip would have to drive her back to Pocahontas' house, and she wasn't sure what the excuse would be. It would look a bit suspicious if she used Phillip's phone to call someone and they left immediately after without really giving a clear explanation as to why. But it was the only plan she had. She didn't have any money, and she definitely wasn't going to make Phillip pay for feminine products.

She stood under the water for a long while, cursing herself and her poor planning. Eventually she turned off the water, jumped out of the shower and hurried across the tiles, dripping wet. She pulled her extra set of boxers out of her duffel bag, used a hefty amount of toilet paper to line it and slipped them on. She used one of the towels hanging on the metal rod to hastily dab herself dry. She pulled on her undershirt and grabbed the boxers.

"Yo, Ping, heads up, we're coming in!"

With no other warning the bathroom door burst open and Mulan paled to a deathly white.

She had not locked the door.

Ling, Chien Po and Yao froze in the doorway, dripping some sort of orange substance. Mulan stared numbly at them, her short raven hair plastered to her neck, water droplets running down her flesh as she clutched the towel to her chest.

Without her baggy clothing, her feminine figure was very much exposed, though her makeup job was still intact, thanks to waterproof cosmetics.

Realizing that Ping was most certainly female, Yao screwed his eyes shut and slapped a hand over Ling's eyes. Chien Po quickly turned around and stepped out with an apology.

"Okay. We're really confused. But we're gonna give you a minute, and then when you're decent, we'll…we'll talk."

They filed out and shut the door behind them. Legs trembling, Mulan finished drying herself off. She pulled on her jeans, shoved her soiled boxers to the bottom of her duffel bag and used a bottle of air freshener to cover up the smell. She pulled her hair back, put on the Styrofoam and shirt. Zipping her duffel bag up, she said softly, "You can come in."

The three males came back into the bathroom. Ling shut the door behind him, his eyes not meeting Mulan's. Chien Po shuffled his feet and Mulan stared at the ground. Yao coughed awkwardly and said, "So you're a girl."

"Uh-huh."

"I've seen you around DC, haven't I?" asked Ling.

Mulan nodded. "I'm Fa Mulan. I'm a sophomore."

"You make a pretty good dude," said Yao flatly.

She slumped. "I'm sorry for tricking you. But my parents wanted me to join to team, and the football team was the only one I wanted to join. So I got a crazy idea and decided to pretend to be a guy so I could try out. I told my parents a half-truth. I said I joined a team, which is true, but I lied about which team."

"You went through all this to play on our dinky team?" asked Yao in disbelief.

"I wanted to prove something to myself, I guess. That even though I'm a girl I'm good enough to play with the boys." Mulan shrugged. "But mostly I just really wanted to play football."

The boys were silent. Mulan bit her lip. "Are you gonna tell the others?"

Chien Po rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I won't. I enjoy having you on our team."

"Yeah," agreed Ling. "I still mean what I said before. You're the reason we're in the championships."

Yao put his hands on his hips. "This might be the craziest thing I've ever done…alright. We'll keep your secret."

They were instantly pulled into a tight embrace by Mulan, who had to resist the urge to squeal happily. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Don't mention it," muttered Yao, blushing.

Mulan suddenly remember her problem and stepped back. "Okay, I'm actually relieved that more people know."

"More?" questioned Chien Po.

"There's a few other people who know, but the only one on the team who knows is Phillip."

"That punk." Yao smacked his fist to his palm. "I thought he was a little too familiar with you."

Mulan grinned. "I know his girlfriend, so I've known him pretty much since they started dating. But I'm getting off topic. I have…feminine problems."

It took a few beats, but the three males turned red once they connected the dots. "Oh," muttered Ling.

"I don't have anything," continued Mulan. "Could you maybe distract the others while Phillip takes me to my best friend's house? They might get suspicious when I make a phone call and leave immediately after."

"You don't have to go through all the trouble," said Chien Po. "We can drive you."

Mulan frowned. "But it's almost ten at night."

"There are twenty-four grocery stores, aren't there?" pointed out Yao.

"You'll really drive me?" she asked hopefully.

Ling pulled out his keys and swung them around his finger. "Male or female, you're our friend. You need a hand? We'll help you out. We'll say we're going on a snack run."

Mulan felt tears spring to her eyes. "You rule," she said, hugging them again.

"Must be the hormones," muttered Yao, and Ling nodded in agreement.

"Let's go. The toilet paper isn't going to do me much good for long." Mulan ensured she didn't leave anything suspicious in the bathroom and the four stepped from the bathroom. "Wait, how come you came barging in in the first place?"

"Oh." Ling pulled at his sticky sweater. "The genius Yao shook his soda before he opened it. We were coming in to clean up."

"Sorry. Shoulda knocked."

Mulan laughed. "It's okay. So, did you have any inkling that I'm not a boy?"

"Nope," said Chien Po honestly.

"You got the appearance and voice down," agreed Yao. "I'm actually impressed. What do you use under your clothes?"

"Styrofoam."

"Yeah. I'm definitely impressed."

Ling paused by the entertainment room to tell the others where they were headed. Phillip caught Mulan's eye with a soft concerned frown but she smiled reassuringly at him. "We'll see you in a few," she said in her deep voice.

The four went down the corridors and headed outside. "Welcome to Operation: Keep Mulan On the Team," she said cheerfully. "I'll fill you in on everything during the drive. The whole story."

Ling unlocked his light green truck. "I'm sure it's an interesting one."

"You know," mused Yao as they climbed into the vehicle, "you being female actually explains a few things. Such as your aversion to the locker room and taking off after every practice."

"Note to self," said Mulan as she buckled her seatbelt. "Work on being discreet."

_Also, keep meticulous notes as to when Mother Nature will be paying me a visit._


	18. Mulan's Geography Mess Up

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Mulan's Geography Mess Up**

The rest of the night at Charming's went by without any other incidents. Mulan hid her package of pads at the very bottom of her duffel bag and she only changed hers when she was certain all the other males were asleep. She managed to find a trash chute to dispose it.

It came as a relief when the sun rose up in the sky, signifying her freedom. It was about six when she finished gathering up all her stuff and Phillip awoke. "Leaving already?" he yawned.

Mulan nodded. "Yeah. I think it's best that I head out as soon as possible. Tell the others I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, but I'm on a strict timeframe. Mother wants me home at a certain time."

"Got it. You sure you don't want me to give you a lift? I could probably make it back before these losers wake up."

She smiled. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. The exercise will do me some good. I'll see you at school. And thanks, for everything."

"Anytime." Phillip fell back against his pile of pillows.

Mulan paused in the open entryway to say, "By the way, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po know," before taking off.

Phillip gaped after her. "Wha?"

…

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and most of the streetlights were still lit. Mulan shuffled her way along the sidewalk, her duffel bag hanging off of her shoulder. She was grateful that the streets were empty, for she was still in her Ping guise.

"Guess I better give Pocahontas a heads-up," she said aloud. She couldn't exactly knock on her front door dressed as a guy. Powhatan Bateson did not work weekends, so Mulan had no doubt he was home. It also didn't help that he was an early riser.

_I also don't know if he'll be as fooled as the football players of Disney Central, _she thought. Powhatan had known her for a _long _time, and he was a sharp guy. As hard as she tried to _not _act like herself, she was sure that there were some mannerisms that snuck past.

She did not need Powhatan to pick up on her slip-ups.

Pulling out her cellphone, she dialed her best friend's cell number. After a few rings, a groggy voice answered, _"Hello?"_

"Hey. Sorry to wake you up. But I'm almost to your place. Is it cool if I change there?"

"_Geez. You didn't waste any time getting out of Charming's. Yeah, you can come over. I'll go unlock the back door. Be careful when you come in. You know my father."_

"I'll be as sneaky as a cat."

"_A little sneakier than that. You're gonna need it, with your clumsiness."_

Pocahontas hung up before Mulan could think of a retort. Huffing, she shoved her cell into her pocket. "I'm not that clumsy."

After ten more minutes of walking, she reached the Bateson residence. She slipped through the gate and into the backyard, keeping eyes out for nosy neighbours. She went up to the back door and squinted through the small glass window.

Coast was clear.

Mulan eased open the door and slipped into the laundry room. She nearly had a heart attack upon spotting her friend's pet pug, Percy, lounging on top of the humming dryer. "Geez," she breathed, slapping at her chest. "Don't do that!"

The white pug looked at her with disinterest.

"I am so glad you're not the barking type," she muttered. She tiptoed out of the small square room and into the hallway. The stairs were near the front of the house, and she would have to go down the stretch of hallway in order to make it there.

Stomach twisting in anxiety, she started thinking of excuses and explanations to give to Powhatan if he happened to catch her. _I could say I'm here to help with a school project…at six in the morning. Um…I walked into the wrong house. No, that's stupid. Screw it, I'll just scream for Pocahontas and let her deal with the storm._

"_Prrrrr."_

Mulan jolted at the sudden sound, twisting around to see what the source was. She slumped upon spotting Meeko sitting at the end of the hall, watching her with curious eyes, purring softly. "It's only the raccoon," she whispered, trying to calm her nerves.

She reached the stairs, but she did not make a beeline for them just yet. She craned her neck to peek into the living room. Empty. She needed to make her move now.

Heart in her throat, she gripped the banister and climbed the stairs two at a time as silently as possible. She reached the second floor landing and made tracks for Pocahontas' room.

"_Pwft!"_

"Gah!" she yelped as something flitted in front of her face. Flit hovered in front of her for a brief moment before humming and taking off downstairs. Pale and at the end of her rope, Mulan stumbled into her best friend's bedroom.

"You made it," said Pocahontas in relief. "I got worried when I heard you yell."

"Was it loud?" she asked anxiously, pulling out her feminine clothes from her bag.

"No, not really."

"Okay. I'll be right back, and then I'll tell you guys everything."

Mulan hurried into the bathroom. Pocahontas started nudging Aurora and Charlotte, who were still snuggled in their sleeping bags. "Wake up! She's back!"

Charlotte groaned and, after a few more prods, sat up. "She's alive, then?"

"Well, she made it back in one piece. I'm taking this as a good sign."

Aurora rubbed the sleep from her eyes before glancing at Charlotte. "You go to sleep beautiful and you wake up perfect. What's your secret?"

The Southern belle patted at her blonde hair, where not a strand was out of place. "A lot of work, sweetie."

"Yeah," said Pocahontas with a grin. "Did you see how much cream and spray she put on before climbing into her sleeping bag?"

"Some beauty isn't effortless," sniffed Charlotte.

The bathroom door opened and Mulan exited, her black hair brushing her shoulders. She wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a light green button-up shirt. Her duffel bag was thrown to the floor and she collapsed onto Pocahontas' bed.

"I had three consecutive heart attacks on my way up here," she grumbled. "Your pets don't make a sound."

Aurora looked at the Native American in surprise. "You have pets? I didn't see any."

Pocahontas smiled. "They don't really show themselves when there's people over, unless it's Mulan. But yeah, I have three pets. Percy, Meeko and Flit."

"In other words a pug, raccoon and a hummingbird," clarified Mulan. "The oddest pet combination I've ever seen."

"Oh, like you can talk. A dog named Little Brother, a horse named Khan and a cricket named Cri-Kee."

Mulan pointed sharply at her. "Two of my pets are normal. A _hummingbird, _for crying out loud. You don't even keep him in a cage. You just let him fly around."

"Bicker later," interjected Aurora. "I want to know what happened!"

So Mulan spent the next fifteen minutes explaining how the night went. There were three loud gasps when she got to the part of how Yao, Ling and Chien-Po busted her. But she ignored their shocked expressions and ploughed on to how they reacted, soon soothing their worries.

"So everything's fine?" asked Charlotte anxiously. "They won't tell anyone?"

"No," assured Mulan. "They're cool guys. I trust them."

Pocahontas nodded slowly. "This might be a good thing. At least now Phillip isn't the only one on the team that knows. He can't always cover for your disappearances and be your change room guard. Three other players in the know could really help us out."

Charlotte glanced at Mulan. "When do the finals take place?"

"They start next Friday and last until Monday," she replied. "We have practice every weekday until then."

"You're almost done," said Pocahontas. "And then I'll be able to breathe easily again."

"Until next year," joked Charlotte.

Pocahontas shot her a withering glare. "Don't even."

Mulan laughed. "Not gonna lie, I'm going to miss Ping when this is all over."

"He'll live on in our memories," deadpanned Pocahontas. "What are you going to do about exams? They start next Monday."

"I'll have plenty of time to study," said Mulan confidently. "The practices only last two, three hours after school. If I have to, I'll stay up late."

"How's your Geography project coming?" pressed Pocahontas.

Mulan waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled. She stood up and stretched. "I'll just be glad when everything is done and over with. I'm going to make some breakfast. I'll bring the food up when it's finished."

The Native American left and Charlotte asked hopefully, "Think there's going to be bacon?"

Mulan giggled. "Definitely not. Pocahontas and her father are vegans."

"…oh."

…

Monday rolled around, and there was officially a week before exams were to start. The majority of the student body was in a frenzied state, reviewing their notes every spare second they got. The elementary students were not as stressed as their high school peers, since their exams were shorter and were not worth very much.

"I don't understand how the last two weeks of a semester stresses me out more than the other weeks combined," grumbled Pocahontas, frantically flipping through her textbook, trying to find the answer to the question she was currently working on.

Mulan shrugged. "It's pretty much do or die at this point. Project marks and exam marks are heavy, so if we don't do so well, there's a good chance we're screwed come report card time."

"That makes me feel so much better."

"I don't know why you're so worried," said Mulan in exasperation. "I've got a _C _in English right now. My parents are _not _going to be happy if that doesn't rise."

"You only have a _C _because you forgot to do your final journal assignment," pointed out Pocahontas. She located the answer and wrote it down in triumph.

"I was sore, tired and completely spent," defended Mulan. "When Coach Phil decides to he wants to run us to the ground, he does a really good job of it."

"I guess you did pretty good, balancing this whole thing with your schoolwork," remarked Pocahontas.

The bell rang, startling the intent students from their studying. Teens straggled up from couches and chairs, filing out of the library to head to their first period class. Pocahontas furrowed her brow. "Shoot, I meant to keep watch on the time."

She put her textbook in her bag and removed a clear plastic folder, which held several papers. Mulan felt her stomach drop when she caught sight of the title page.

_**World Conflicts: The Ensuing Water War**_

_**By Pocahontas Bateson**_

_Oh…no._

Mulan sunk her nails into the material of her jeans, a knot growing in her stomach. She could have sworn the essay for Professor Mushu was due later on in the week. "Er…finish it early?" she asked carefully.

Pocahontas snorted. "I wish. Got the conclusion typed out last night. Then I discovered my printer was out of paper, and I nearly freaked. But thankfully there was another package stuffed in my closet."

_Crap._

"So…I'm screwed."

The Native American blinked in confusion for a moment before realization struck. _"You didn't."_

Mulan sunk in her seat. "I did. I totally thought it was due on Friday. I haven't finished it."

Pocahontas moaned and cradled her head in her hands. "Mulan, this is worth thirty-percent of our final grade. That's why our exam is worth less."

"I know, I know. I should have written a note on my hand or something. What am I going to do?"

"You're going to have to figure that one out on the way to class," she said firmly. "We got three minutes. Come on."

The two females hurried from the library and to their class. Mulan shuffled down the aisle and took her seat, pulling her binder and writing utensils out from her bag. When she looked around, she could see essays on every desk. Some were in folders, some were in fancy booklets and some were simply stapled together.

_I must be the only one without my essay, _she thought in dismay.

Soon the bell signalling the start of class started and Mushu clapped his hands sharply, and the talking ceased. "Alright, people, let's do this before I forget. Pass up those essays you all poured blood, sweat and tears into."

"Uh…well, I got orange juice on mine," spoke Prince Webster, a sheepish grin on his face. "My bottle leaked. Sorry."

"Least it's not jam this time," the skinny man returned, collecting the stacks as they got passed down to him.

Mulan accepted the papers from the girl who sat behind her and waited a beat before handing them to her best friend. _Okay. Maybe I can just leave it, finish it tonight, and sneak it into his drawer tomorrow, bright and early._

No…he wouldn't fall for that. In fact, she was pretty sure she tried that trick on him before.

"Who remembers what we were talking about last Friday?" asked Mushu. He got a bunch of blank stares in return. "People, why do I bother to talk if you're not retaining anything?"

"Because you won't let us talk," Mulan could not help put point out. "So we have no choice but to listen."

Her classmates burst into laughter and Mushu rolled his dark eyes. "Yeah, yeah, she's a regular comedian. Jokes stop now and your ears are turned on. You got exams next week and I will not be happy if I see any of your faces in summer school-especially yours, Funny Pants."

Mulan offered an innocent smile as she picked up her pen and poised it over her paper. As Mushu lectured, she idly wrote down notes in point-form. Her mind continued to whirr, trying to figure out how she was going to handle her latest problem.

_How much do I have done? Can I hand in what I have? _

The research essay was supposed to be six pages long, double-spaced, not including the title page. She knew for sure she was three pages into it.

_Okay…it's fifty percent done. If I type up a quick conclusion, will it be enough to get a passing grade?_

No. Most likely not. Mushu was no pushover, and definitely didn't take pity on his students.

_Should I be straight with him? Just let him know that I didn't finish it._

While that probably be what she _should _do, how exactly was she going to explain it? She had three weeks to do it. But with her double-life as Ping and her other schoolwork, it slipped her mind. Then when she _did _remember it, she thought she had longer to do it.

_Well, I did confuse the due date. It's not much of an excuse, but I could use it._

It was her only option, really. She couldn't just slip out without saying anything. He would leaf through the essays, notice hers was missing, and call her parents. And that was something she did _not _need to happen.

_Geez. I wish I could borrow Ping's marks. _

The seventy-five minute period went by quicker than Mulan would have liked. The bell rang and everyone was on their feet, rushing to meet up with their friends for the brief break between classes. She suddenly didn't feel so good, as she reluctantly stood up and started putting her things in her bag.

"What are you going to do?" asked Pocahontas lowly.

"Gonna have to admit it," she muttered.

The Native American nodded in approval. "That's the best thing to do. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine. You're his favourite student, after all."

Mulan felt her stomach sink further. _That's why I feel so bad._

Mushu Serpentine had been her Geography professor since second semester of first grade. She liked him from the start. He wasn't like her other teachers. He had a sharp tongue and wasn't afraid to exchange barbs with his students. He told it like it was, and he didn't sugar-coat anything. He was strict, fair and could be really cool and laidback. He was the very reason she continued to take Geography when she entered high school.

Sure, she'd missed a couple homework assignments here and there. But nothing as important as the final assignment. She always did well in his class. She'd never disappointed him.

"Should I wait for you?"

Mulan glanced at her best friend. "Nah. I'll be fine. I'll see you later."

Pocahontas nodded and left. Mulan took a quick breath, tightened her grip on her bag, and nervously approached her teacher. "Hi."

Mushu arched a slim red eyebrow. "What'd you do?" he asked, lifting up the stack of essays and setting them in his large leather bag.

"How come you automatically assume I've done something?" she asked with a slight pout.

"Girl, you wrote notes. You only ever write notes in my class when you're feeling guilty about something." Mushu rested his hip on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. "What's up?"

Mulan's shoulders slumped. "Okay, so…I didn't finish my essay in time," she blurted. "I'm sorry!"

"How much did you get done?" he questioned.

"Er…three pages."

"Guess I should have given you six weeks to do it," he drawled. "Since you only managed to finish a page a week."

Mulan flushed. "I had a good start, but when I felt I was far enough to take a break, I forgot. Then when I remembered, I mixed up the date. I thought it was due on Friday."

Mushu sent her a look. "You couldn't be bothered to look at the outline? Or _ask _someone? Like the girl you spend most of my classes disturbing."

"I was a hundred-percent sure it was due on Friday," she could not help but defend. "Why would I ask if I was sure I was right?"

"I've got a new rule for you. _Always _double-check your due dates with a second, _reliable _party."

"Okay, okay. I got it." Mulan bit her lip. "So…am I getting a zero?"

Mushu studied her intently for a moment. "Are you sorry?"

"Extremely!" she said earnestly, feeling a bubble of hope rise in her chest. "I'm super sorry. It just completely flew my mind. I had a lot of things on my plate, and I just lost track. I'll finish it tonight, swear."

"How about we take away your distractions? You can spend time working on your essay in detention all this week until you finish it."

Mulan felt her body freeze. Detention, all week?

_Football practice._

But she couldn't _tell _him that. And she definitely couldn't argue. He was giving her a chance. He hardly ever gave his students a chance when it came to incomplete schoolwork, unless there was a good reason. She didn't even have a good reason, but he was letting her finish it anyway.

_I'll just have to miss tonight's practice. I'll finish it tonight, even if I have to pull an all-nighter._

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "You're great, you know that?"

"Flattery gets you nowhere." Mushu levelled a finger at her. "But it will be due on Friday. If it's not in, that's it-dishonour! Dishonour on you, dishonour on your cow!"

A wide grin stretched across her face. It was a running joke of theirs, stretching back all the way to the third grade. They had to draw pictures of their favourite animals and write a small paragraph of why they thought they were important. She had chosen her horse, Khan. She had drawn it so horribly that it resembled a cow rather than a horse, and Mushu declared that she had dishonoured herself and her cow for depicting Khan in a bad light.

"Alright, get your scrawny butt to your next class. I'll see you in detention."

"Boss!" She gave him a salute and hurried from the room, feeling a lot lighter. She would just have to let either Phillip or Yao and his friends know, so one of them could relay the message to Coach Phil.

Sure, he would be unhappy. But she'd take a punishment of running a hundred laps over disappointing Mushu any day.


	19. Mushu's Suspicions

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Might take a break from Mulan and do some different characters next chapter. We'll see. **

**Mushu's Suspicions**

Sitting at her computer, Mulan slouched in her high-backed chair and squinted at the screen. There were half a dozen books covering the surface of her desk and a good ten different credible websites on different tabs in her Internet browser. Her cellphone was held between her shoulder and ear.

"How many laps am I going to have to run tomorrow?" she asked, fingers flying over her keyboard as she added bits of information from her research materials mixed with her own thoughts into the open word document.

"_Probably only fifty," _replied Yao. _"You got lucky, girlie. If you hadn't attended every other practice Coach wouldn't have been so easy on you."_

It was Yao who ended up relaying to Coach Phil that Ping would be absent for the first practice of the week before finals. According to him, Phil was initially upset but got over it. _"But he says that if you miss any more practices he's going to make you run until your feet blister. After he smacks you."_

Mulan laughed. "I don't doubt it. I really didn't want to skip out, but I couldn't help it."

"_You'll be good for the rest of the week, right?"_

"Absolutely," she promised. "It's my own fault for completely blanking on my homework."

"_You know that finals start on the last exam day. We get special accommodations. What are you going to do?"_

Mulan bit her bottom lip. She hadn't even thought about that. She knew that Milo was handling Ping's online account, so she didn't have to worry about that. Milo assured Charlotte that he would take the online exams himself when the Southern belle voiced her concerns. Though that set everyone involved in Mulan's scheme at ease, there were still a few details to iron out.

"Finish it as fast as I can," she finally replied. "The finals take place in the city, so it's not like we have to travel far. All I need is for the bus to leave after nine. Exams start at eight sharp."

"_There's no way you can finish an exam in an hour."_

"I know. But the bus can't leave any earlier or I'm screwed."

"Mulan?"

Startled, she jumped out of her chair and nearly dropped her phone to the floor. "I'll talk to you later," she said hastily and hung up. "Mom! You can't knock?"

Li smiled at her daughter's irate expression. "Sorry, dear. I heard you talking on the phone and didn't want to interrupt." She set a laundry basket filled with neat, folded clothes on Mulan's bed. "Was that Pocahontas?"

"Yes," she answered quickly, relieved that her mother hadn't heard a word. "I just had a couple of questions to ask her."

"Isn't it a bit late to be working on assignments?" Li furrowed her brow, glancing at the work station her daughter had set up. "I thought this week was for exam review."

"This is the last one. It's due tomorrow," she lied.

"And you're just finishing it now?" Li sent her daughter a disapproving frown. "You know we don't like it when you leave things until the last minute."

"I know, I'm sorry," apologized Mulan. "I'm almost done. I've got a page left."

"I hope you've done a good job. You know your father expects you to improve this year."

"Yes, Mom."

"Alright. I won't nag anymore. Lights out at eleven."

Mulan nodded and Li departed, shutting the door behind her. Letting out a sigh of relief, the girl glanced at her laptop screen. "I wish I only had a page left to do," she muttered.

During detention, she discovered that she had only done the first bit of researching her topic. She spent the two hours writing detailed notes. She didn't have any books with her, so she could only write down information from websites. Then she had to go to the library after detention was over and find some books to use. By the time she got home, it was almost six o'clock. She told her parents that she was at the last chess club meeting of the semester before disappearing into her room, not wanting to be questioned further.

Here she was, four hours later, with two and half pages left to go. On top of that, she still had to revise and edit, add in her citations (which she always forgot to include until the last minute) and create a works cited list. Her final step was to format and create a title page before printing everything.

"I'm definitely not printing it tonight," she muttered, running a hand down her face. Which meant she would have to get up early, walk to school and print off her report there.

_You'll be exhausted, but at least it will be done, _she thought determinedly. _You won't lose out on thirty percent, you won't let Mushu down and you won't miss out on any more important practices._

She went back to her report, for the first time feeling relief rather than disappointment that Ping's time was almost over.

…

Mulan discovered that the only people who occupied the school's library at seven-thirty in the morning were the kids who caught the early buses and had nothing better to do. She stood near the printer, scrubbing at her eyes as she watched her assignment chug out in six pages (plus the cover page and works cited list) with neat print.

"You look horrible."

Mulan grunted in response as Jane Porter stepped beside her. She couldn't take offense from the British girl's honest remark, for she knew she definitely didn't look her best. Her short hair was half in a ponytail, the loose strands hanging in her face. Instead of wearing her normal jeans-and-shirt, she settled for a dark green hoodie that was one size too big and dark grey jogging pants. Not exactly the outfit that would make any guy (cough-Shang-cough) look twice at her.

"It's just one of those days," she replied, gathering up her papers. "What are you doing here this early?"

"I always come to school around this time." Jane smiled. "It's just easier to catch a ride with my father instead of walking."

"Oh, right. Duh." Mulan snorted. "If you couldn't already tell, I'm so not with it today."

Jane laughed. "That's alright. I know what you mean. Exams are coming up and most of us are running ragged trying to prepare."

"Tell me about it. And I'm not even as smart as you."

Mulan walked over to the librarian's desk to use the stapler. As she attached her papers together the librarian stated, "That'll be eighty cents."

The Asian American's face fell. "Oh, man. I knew I was forgetting something." She cast a hopeful look at her Biology partner. "Do you have change I can borrow?"

Jane dug through the front pocket of her leather book bag and pulled out a handful of coins. "Don't worry about the change," she said, sliding it across the desk.

Mulan smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem at all." The two girls exited the library and walked down the hallway. "Is that an assignment?"

"Yeah. I forgot to do my Geography report, so Professor Mushu gave me a bit of an extension." She glanced at the brunette. "We didn't have anything extra for Biology, did we?"

Janes shook her head. "No. Just review. Daddy doesn't like giving his students assignments so close to exams."

"I knew that, but I'm just paranoid." Mulan yawned. "How much longer before classes start?"

Jane checked her watch. "About half an hour."

"I think I'm going to take a catnap."

"You look like you need it," observed Jane. "I'll see you in class, then."

"Yeah, and thanks again for the spare change."

Jane set off around the corner while Mulan went to her locker. She set her report neatly on the metal shelf before closing the door firmly. She propped up her backpack and settled against it, knees tucked against her chest. Though the tiled floor was hard and her backpack was not a comfortable pillow, it was not long before she fell asleep.

…

_Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiing!_

The warning bell trilled, sending the student populace hurrying to get to their first class of the day. But by the third ring, the sophomore snoozing at her locker did not wake. Standing outside his classroom door, watching as his students scurried into the room, Baloo Kunda noted with concern that the girl seemed to be in a deep slumber. But before he could go over to the sophomore, someone else went to check on Mulan.

"Hey," said Shang in a loud voice, gently but firmly prodding the girl in the arm. "Wake up."

Jolting slightly, Mulan sat up, eyes blinking madly. "Wha?" she slurred.

"You okay?" asked Shang, bending down.

Staring at him with wide eyes, Mulan managed to stutter out, "Yeah. Fine."

"Warning bell just rang. You better get to class." Shang straightened. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, positive." Mulan got to her feet and managed a smile. "Thanks for waking me up. It was…uh, it was a long night."

"I hear that. See you around."

Nodding numbly, Mulan watched her fellow teammate stride down the hall. She turned around and opened up her locker, snatching her report before snapping the lock shut and hurrying towards Geography. She ran the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping away a string of drool.

_Great. I'm in sweats, my hair is greasy and I drooled. That's gonna impress him._

Face burning a dull red from embarrassment, she slid into the classroom just as the final bell rang. She quickly took her seat, ignoring the quizzical glance Pocahontas sent her. It was a rough seventy-five minutes, and it took everything Mulan had to pay attention to Mushu's lecture, but she managed to make some halfway decent notes. She couldn't space out now, not the week before exams.

When the bell rang, signalling that first period was over, the students clustered towards the door. Mulan stood up and went to Mushu's desk, slipping her finished report towards him. Mushu arched an eyebrow. "Girl, you had the rest of this week to do this. Don't be telling me you stayed up all night just to get this done."

"Not all night," replied Mulan. Her mother had told her lights out by eleven, so she only risked staying up until one in the morning. Since she hadn't finished it by then, she got up at five to wrap it all up. She was out the door by seven, and only her grandmother was awake to see her off. She suspected her grandmother knew something was up, but unlike her parents, her grandmother did not ask questions.

Picking up the stapled papers, Mushu flipped through them. When he was satisfied that the girl had indeed put effort into her report, he set it down and locked eyes on the sophomore, who met his gaze with a nervous smile. "I gave you detention so you could finish this bit by bit. You want to spare some home time to work on it, fine. But you did not need to bust your butt for a whole afternoon and night to get it done."

"I just wanted to get it done as soon as I could." Mulan shrugged. "I mean, I'm the one at fault here. Everyone else probably wants their report back as soon as possible so they can guess how their final grade will turn out. I don't want to be the person keeping that from happening. This was supposed to be done yesterday. You probably want to mark them as soon as possible. So I cracked down and got it done." She offered a crooked grin. "See? I'm not entirely lazy."

Mushu narrowed his coal-black eyes. "Why don't I entirely believe you?"

Resisting the urge to bite down on her lip, Mulan maintained her grin. _This is the problem of having a teacher who has known you since the early years. He knows you too well. _"Not all students are suspicious of one thing or another. I gotta go, I have Biology next. Thanks again for the extension!"

She darted from the classroom. Mushu glanced after her before looking at her assignment, a frown on his lips.

…

Lunch rolled around and Mulan took this opportunity to sleep some more. She rested her head in her arms, shoulders rising and falling gently as she drifted on to dreamland. Sitting at her table was her best friend, Charlotte, Aurora and Milo. The group talked with one another, keeping their voices low so they would not disturb her sleep.

"She really avoided a snag," muttered Milo after Pocahontas filled him in on Mulan's recent close calls. He was taking a leave from his usual table to see how Ping's progress was going.

"It helps that she's his favourite student." Pocahontas pushed her salad around her tray. "But she couldn't be in detention all this week, so she had to pull an all-nighter to get the report done."

"Yeah, this isn't exactly the week for her to miss out on practice." Aurora cast a glance at the table where the main members of the football team sat. "Phillip said Coach Phil wasn't too upset, so that's a plus at least."

"I've never attended finals before, but this is definitely the year to do it," said Milo, pushing his glasses up.

Charlotte cast him a grin. "Sug, you've been attending every game this season. I've seen you in the seats."

"Well, games are games. But finals are the finals." Milo wrinkled his nose. "But Kida is wondering why I have the sudden interest in football. I have yet to give her a direct answer."

"I'm sorry you have to keep her in the dark about your role in our little operation," said Pocahontas apologetically.

Milo waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I was nervous at first, but now I'm actually excited. Ping deserves this."

"Has there been any suspicion about Ping's phantom behaviour?" Pocahontas asked Aurora.

The blonde shook her head. "Phillip says that they don't pay too much attention to it. Online students have their own stuff to worry about, and there's never really much interaction between them and our student populace even when they do join our clubs. It also helps that Ping doesn't have a cellphone."

"So we're still on a smooth trail," said Charlotte.

"For now," muttered Pocahontas. "We still have the finals to get through." She looked at Milo. "Everything on the online account is okay, then?"

"I've got it covered," assured Milo. "I may or may not have to take a dishonest route in order to get the answers, but I'm not so bothered. Not like it's a real student or anything." He paused for a moment before groaning. "Look what you people did. You turned me into a hoodlum."

They all laughed at that. "It'll be over soon," said Pocahontas. "Then you go back to being your rule-abiding nerd self."

Milo smiled slightly. "I'll definitely breathe easy after all this, I can tell you that much."

Across the cafeteria, Baloo looked up from his lunch at the staff table and remarked, "Kid's out again."

Mushu, who was sitting next to him, followed his gaze. His eyes sharpened at the sight of Mulan slumped over the table, dead to the world. "Again?"

"Yeah. She was sleeping in the hallway before first period. Guess the stress must be getting to her. Poor kid."

"I don't think stress is the issue here," Mushu muttered to himself. He had known Fa Mulan for a long time. She did not stress over exams, not to the extent that it sapped all her energy. She had stayed up all night finishing his assignment instead of using the detention time he gave her to finish it gradually. That girl did not bust her butt for schoolwork. She took her time and did not finish anything in one shot.

He had a feeling something was going on with the girl…and he wasn't exactly sure what.


	20. Out For Lunch

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**The following chapter takes place on the same day as the last one, from the perspective of the Troublesome Trio (and a few other characters).**

**Out For Lunch**

Rapunzel leaned against the wall opposite the locker bank, watching as the strawberry-blonde girl rifled through her locker in search for her lunch. Books on the top shelf were precariously close to falling on Anna's head, and loose pens and papers rolled off the bottom shelf and gathered at her feet.

"This is ridiculous," huffed Anna, grabbing hold of her dark pink backpack and searching through its contents. Other than more loose papers, her headphones and her recreational novel, there was no sign of her bagged lunch.

"It might help if you clean out your locker," advised Rapunzel, moving to peer over her friend's shoulder. "That way you can find your things easily."

Anna made a face. "I already have to clean my room. I'm allowed to have my locker space messy." After one more frantic rifle through her stuff, she gave up and slammed her locker door shut. "Whatever," she huffed, snapping her lock shut. "Guess I'm going hungry today."

"Are you sure you packed a lunch this morning?" asked Rapunzel carefully.

Anna opened her mouth to say that yes, of course she did, but the words didn't fall off her tongue as her brain had difficulty recalling the moment she made her food and packed it. Furrowing her brow, she thought hard for a minute before admitting, "No, I'm not positive. Dang it."

"You can share mine, if you want," offered Rapunzel, holding out her light pink lunch bag. "I have tuna on whole wheat, an apple and some carrot sticks."

"Uh, thanks, but I think I'll pass. It's not the first time I've had to go without a lunch, anyway."

The two girls started down the hallway, towards the cafeteria. When they reached the end of the hall they encountered three males as both groups went to turn the corner. Anna arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Cafeteria's that way."

"Not going to the cafeteria," replied Flynn.

"Where you going?" asked Rapunzel curiously.

"And don't say the library," interjected Anna. "I don't think you three have stepped foot in there since the sixth grade."

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "You're so hilarious."

"Well, she's right."

Snapping his head around, the Arabian boy's cheeks turned a light red at the sight of Jasmine standing behind him. "Hey, Jasmine."

"Hey, Jasmine," mocked Jim. Aladdin glared and elbowed him in the side, causing the teen to grunt in pain.

Ignoring the display, Jasmine hefted her violet purse higher onto her shoulder and turned her head slightly so that she was looking at Flynn. "You going on a lunch run again?"

"You say it like it's a frequent occurrence for us," muttered Flynn.

"Once a month is pretty frequent," retorted Jasmine.

"That's an exaggeration," cut in Jim. "If we did it once a month, we'd have been caught by now. We try to pick and choose our times wisely so that we don't get busted."

"Get busted for what?" asked Rapunzel, completely confused.

"They like to sneak out from time to time and go off campus for lunch," informed Anna.

"Oh. That's not allowed?"

Anna blinked. "Oops. Guess I forgot to cover some stuff when I was giving you the rundown on your first day."

"Some student guide you are," jabbed Jim. He let out a grunt when the strawberry-blonde dug her elbow sharply into the side Aladdin had recently bruised. "Ouch! Geez, people. Hostile student environment."

"You have to be a senior to go off campus. But the way I see it, we're almost seniors, so why should we have to wait?" Flynn flashed a charming smile at the blonde, who blushed under his dark gaze. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Don't fall for his looks," warned Aladdin. "There's really nothing else there."

Flynn glared at him. "Yeah? Well Jasmine, you shouldn't fall for Al's charm. That's all he has working for him."

Rapunzel hesitated, large green eyes uncertain. "It sounds like fun, but I don't want to get into trouble."

"You won't," assured Flynn. "This isn't the first time we've done it, and we haven't gotten caught before."

"Yeah, you just get busted for everything else you do," quipped Jasmine.

Aladdin glanced at her with a shy smile. "You can come too, if you'd like."

At the thoughtful look that appeared on Jasmine's face, Anna let out a groan. "Seriously?"

"It is surprise meatloaf day!" protested Jasmine. "I have money, and there's a really good pizza place just down the street."

Rapunzel smiled. "I like pizza!"

Flynn clapped his hands together, a pleased expression on his face. "There we go! So, Arendelle, are you in or are you square?"

Anna glared at him. "I don't have any money."

"I can spot you," offered Jim.

Now that someone was offering to pay for her food, Anna suddenly looked torn. Flynn smiled smugly at her. "See? Only an idiot would refuse this offer on Surprise Meatloaf Tuesday."

"Oh, fine," snapped Anna, defeated. "But how are we going to get there? It's cold and there's snow on the ground."

"He's got a truck," said Aladdin, pointing at Jim.

"Which, as I feel the need to point out, only seats four," the fully-licensed eighteen-year-old added. "So you two dorks will have to ride in the bed."

Aladdin's face fell. "Oh. I didn't think of that."

Jasmine grinned. "And that's why you're a solid _C _student."

"We'll be fine," dismissed Flynn. "Let's get a move on, people. We're wasting precious lunch minutes."

He started off down the hall and the rest followed after him, Rapunzel taking a quick moment to stick her lunch pail into her backpack. In order to bypass the security guards at the front entrance they went out the side door that led to the parking lot. The second they stepped outside they were assaulted by a frigid wind.

"We're riding in the bed like this?" asked Aladdin in horror as they trekked across the slush-strewn tarmac. He wore a dark purple hoodie, black jeans and a burgundy beanie. His white and red sneakers slipped in the snow, causing him to nearly take a dive to the unforgiving ground.

Jasmine laughed. "Watch it, Al. A nosebleed wouldn't look too good on you."

She linked arms with him to help keep him upright. Aladdin flushed at the close contact, suddenly feeling a lot warmer. "Thanks."

Rapunzel wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering. She wore a long pink sweater with a black sparkly belt wrapped around her middle, black leggings and a pair of pink winter boots. "Should have grabbed my coat on the way out," she muttered, ducking her head to avoid getting slapped in the face by wind.

"Here," said Flynn, shrugging off his blue-green jacket.

Rapunzel's eyes widened slightly when he handed it to her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's only a short trip, anyway," he replied, though he was secretly wishing he had worn more layers than just his thin grey sweater.

But the beam she sent him was worth the shivers that now went up and down his spine. She shrugged on his coat, which was one size too big for her small form. Anna shook her head in exasperation, slipping her frozen hands into the pockets of her light blue skinny jeans.

"Yeah, I've lost her," she muttered under her breath. "She's fallen hard."

Reaching the vehicle, Jim unlocked the doors. The females piled in while Flynn and Aladdin flattened down in the bed of the truck, which was lined with a thin layer of snow. "This isn't a good idea," said Aladdin nervously.

Flynn rolled his eyes, trying to get into a comfortable position. "Don't be a baby. It's just cold."

Aladdin sniffed. "It's not healthy to be so exposed to the cold."

The truck lurched forwards, starting to roll out of the parking lot. Aladdin whimpered slightly as he jerked with the motion of the vehicle. He latched onto Flynn's arm. "I'm holding onto you."

"Alright, but geez, try not to give me a bruise!"

The ride to _Slice It Up _was short, but definitely not a gentle ride for the two hunching in the bed. The second Jim parked on the curb outside the small pizza joint they launched over the side of the bed and hightailed it inside. Aladdin let out a sigh of contentment as the warm air soothed his icy joints.

The others filed in soon after and Jasmine grinned. "Did you have a nice ride?"

Rapunzel shrugged off Flynn's coat and handed it back to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow this."

"No problem," said Flynn, quickly shrugging it back on.

"I'm thinking a plain pepperoni pie," spoke Jim, eyes scanning the menu.

"Sounds good with me," agreed Jasmine, and the others chimed in their approval. Flynn, Aladdin, Jasmine and Rapunzel handed Jim their contribution to the cost of the meal before claiming a table near the back of the family-owned restaurant. Jim placed the order, and it was a few minutes later before he returned with a piping hot medium pepperoni pizza.

"This definitely beats meatloaf," said Anna with a grin. "Thanks, Jim."

"No problem." Jim slid into the booth across from the girls, sitting beside Flynn. He picked up a greasy, cheesy slice and took a giant bite.

"I'm starting to see why you guys do this every month," said Jasmine, careful not to get any grease on her powder blue cashmere sweater and matching scarf.

"I told you, it's not every month," said Flynn through a mouthful of food. "Besides, it's the week before finals. I need to stress eat."

"I'm so screwed for medieval history," muttered Aladdin. "There are so many dates to remember."

Jim furrowed his brow. "Ooh. Crap. There were study questions Merlin gave us. I should do those soon."

"I wouldn't worry about it," said Anna, tearing off her crust and putting it to the side of her plate. "As far as history professors go, Merlin isn't bad at all. Cogsworth is the one to look out for. That guy loves his trick questions."

"I'm nervous for math," spoke Rapunzel, her brow wrinkling. "I'm not so good with numbers."

"What do you have right now?" asked Anna.

"A _C_."

"Ha!" said Aladdin triumphantly. "See, Jas, _C_s are perfectly normal."

"I didn't say they weren't," said Jasmine in amusement. "I just think you can do so much better if you actually tried. And if you didn't have most of your classes with those two."

"Don't be fooled. He's just as distracting to us as we are to him," chimed up Jim.

Anna shook her head and glanced at Rapunzel. "By some miracle, I'm pulling a _B. _I can help you study, if you want."

"That'd be great," said Rapunzel, her relief evident. "Thanks."

They spent the next ten minutes polishing off their food. With about fifteen minutes before lunch ended and their third-period class started, they filed out of the pizza shop and into Jim's truck. Aladdin and Flynn reluctantly climbed back into the truck bed.

As they braced themselves for the bumpy trip back to school, Flynn muttered, to Aladdin's horror, "Here's hoping the pizza stays where it's supposed to."


	21. Two! Four! Six! Eight!

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**Tiny bit of Mulan in this chapter. Thought I'd explore the cheerleaders, particularly Aurora and Charlotte.**

**I'm thinking it's about time we have that Alice chapter, so that should be up next. If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see with Alice, I'll take them into consideration.**

**Two! Four! Six! Eight! Gotta Help Mulan Escape!**

"This is probably the absolute worst day to hold practice."

Aurora glanced over her shoulder to see Tinker Bell squinting out the window of the girl's change room. The football players were already hard at work, running laps and stretching on the frost-strewn field. There was a thin, soft snowfall and the sky was grey. It was another typical January afternoon.

"Do we have to practice today?" Claudette whined.

"Yeah, it's seriously gross out," added Laurette.

"Can't we like, reschedule or something?" complained Paulette.

Malina lifted her eyes heavenward, exhaling a slow breath. "This isn't the first winter we've had practice in," she said, managing not to show her impatience. "We've never postpone before. Why start now?"

"Exactly," confirmed Arista, eyes locked on her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her skirt. "Besides, finals start next week. If we want those guys to win, we have to exude school spirit."

Claudette blinked. "What's exude?"

"Never mind. Just get on the sidelines. Tink, bring the music."

The petite blonde picked up the battery-powered CD player and followed after the triplets. Malina shook her head, using a red headband to push back her raven hair. "How exactly have they made it this far?"

Arista grinned. "Beats me."

The Bimbette triplets (a name that was as unfortunate as it was fitting) did not help the argument against the term 'dumb blonde'. But as much as they lacked smarts, they were decent cheerleaders, which meant the girls weren't completely hopeless. But though Arista had been on the squad with them since freshman year, she still couldn't tell them apart. When they first made the squad she gave them coloured ribbons to help her identify them; Claudette got red, Laurette got amber and Paulette got green. They loved the ribbons so much that they wore them ever since.

"It is pretty cold out there," said Aurora, idly pulling on the sleeves of her form-fitting cheerleader uniform.

"It's only for an hour," dismissed Arista. "It's not like we're in our summer uniforms." Satisfied with her appearance, she looked in the direction of the bathroom. "Charlotte! Hurry up. We have to start."

"Just finishing my mascara, doll."

"Alright. We'll meet on the field. The others are waiting." Arista twirled on her heel, white sports sneakers squeaking slightly against the tiles. "Let's move, girls."

"Aye, Captain!" said Aurora with a grin.

They started outside, the bitter wind nipping at their faces. But their winter uniforms guarded them from most of the chill. The tops were white with long, flared sleeves. In the middle, across the chest read _DC Dragons _in purple letters. The sweater stretched down and overlapped the waistband of the purple skirt, which was studded with clear gemstones. White leggings covered their legs and white sneakers with purple laces were secure on their feet. To finish up the uniform were purple earmuffs and slim purple mittens.

"They're in top form this season," remarked Arista, watching as Yao made a clean toss to Gaston.

"Well, it helps that the new guy is so good," replied Malina. "I think Ping is his name."

Aurora fought the sudden urge to burst into laughter. "The Dragons definitely have the State Championship."

They approached the rest of the squad, who were waiting on the benches. A few minutes later Charlotte arrived and settled neatly beside Aurora. Arista stood in front of them, hands on her hips. "Okay, girls. We have a few more days to practice our routines. We're going to make sure we can do them in our sleep."

"I think I already have," said Andrina with a smirk.

Arista ignored her sister. "We're going to cheer louder and dance better than our rival cheerleaders. We're going to bring our peers to their feet! We're going to radiate spirit! We're going to glow with pep! Do you hear me?"

"Yeah!" her squad returned.

"Then get those pom-poms and let's start shaking them!"

The ten cheerleaders moved to the plastic bin which held the purple-and-silver pom-poms. They lined in two separate rows, side-by-side. Charlotte, Andrina, Aurora and Tinker Bell stood on the right side, and the triplets along with Malina. Arista stood front and center, her silver captain's crest gleaming in the sunlight.

Tinker Bell cued the music, and after a few beats Arista shouted,

"_Two, four, six, eight, DC Dragons will annihilate!"_

"_Two, four, six, eight, DC Dragons will annihilate!" _the others echoed, lifting their arms and doing a high kick.

They fell smoothly into their routine, matching their handsprings, flips and other choreography to the music. The pop beat pulsed through the air, and the females were lost in the rhythm. They practiced steadily through the next hour, and when the whistle blew for the football players to stop the song stopped for the fifteenth time, causing the cheerleaders to strike their final pose, breathing heavily.

"Lookin' good, ladies!" crooned Gaston.

The Bimbettes swooned and Aurora rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"Great job, girls," said Arista, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "We're going to rock the stadium during the finals. Tink, you are nailing those flips."

The flyer of the squad beamed. "Thanks!"

During the cleanup of their respective practices, cheerleaders and players were distracted by the janitor who walked onto the field and started speaking with Phil. After a minute he walked away and Phil clapped his hands sharply, the sound echoing across the field.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Looks like we ran into some rough luck today. The pipes in the change rooms aren't dealing with the winter weather well, so you're going to have to grab your stuff and head to the school so the guys can work on them."

"Nice one, Charlotte," joked Andrina. "You were the last one to come out. What'd you do?"

"Nothing," said Charlotte distractedly, sharing a nervous look with Aurora. They were both thinking of Mulan, who already had to deal with the change rooms. Using the school bathrooms introduced even more risks.

Aurora managed to catch her boyfriend's gaze amongst the stream of footballers heading for their change room to grab their bags. Phillip gave a reassuring nod and Aurora relaxed. She had confidence he would handle it.

"You heard him, girls. Let's grab our things and get to the school," called Arista.

Aurora and Charlotte were the first to get their bags and the first to enter the school. Aurora wasn't sure which bathroom Phillip and Mulan would be in, so she and Charlotte picked the closest washroom and ducked into the stalls to change.

"Getting hairy, isn't it?" muttered Charlotte, stepping out of her uniform and pulling on a long-sleeved dark green dress with grey leggings and white boots.

"I'll say. I don't even know what he's gonna do for the last exam before finals," said Aurora, hurriedly getting into her light pink sweater, blue jeans and grey boots.

"He doesn't have much choice, does he?" returned Charlotte. "He'll just have to take it as it goes."

Aurora slipped her cheerleader uniform into her bag and stepped out into the bathroom at the same time as Charlotte. She looked at the Southern belle with a grin. "Is it weird we're using the pronoun 'he' so easily?"

Charlotte laughed. "Maybe, but I don't dwell on it, doll."

The two shrugged on their winter coats and entered the hallway. The walked out into the brisk air and walked back towards the football field, which was now empty. Aurora paused when her cellphone gave off a _ding _and read the new text message.

"Mulan going out window," she read aloud for Charlotte's benefit. "Wish us luck."

Charlotte was bemused. "Why is she going out the window?"

Aurora shrugged. "I'm not sure. But I'm sure they'll tell us when they get here."

Charlotte looked over her shoulder, not really expecting to see Mulan hanging out of one of the many windows that covered the building. She let out a gasp of shock when she actually spotted the familiar figure of their Asian American friend dangling from a second-story window, bag loose around her arm and feet kicking madly in the air.

"She's crazy!"

"And in deep trouble!" said Aurora in panic, noticing Mushu exiting from the side door. In mere seconds he would come around the corner and see his favourite student clinging a window sill like a Christmas ornament to a Christmas tree. "Distract him!"

Aurora darted to assist her friend and after a beat of surprise Charlotte hastily hurried over to intercept the professor.

"Mulan!" hissed Aurora. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Aurroa?" asked Mulan, attempting to crane her neck to look down. "Perfect timing! This is a little higher than I expected. Little help?"

Exasperated, Aurora grabbed Mulan's legs and ordered, "Let go."

Mulan obeyed and Aurora eased her to the frost covered ground. She set her hands on her hips and said, "Whose idea was this?"

"Not mine," said Phillip, leaning out the open window with a slightly amused expression. "She was already halfway out before I could try to convince her otherwise."

Aurora shook her head. "Come on, we have to go. Professor Mushu is just around the corner. Charlotte is distracting him."

Mulan paled. "Oh, he cannot see me. I've never been in an afterschool club in my life. No way in heck is he going to believe I'm in the chess club!"

She took off across the field, slipping and sliding in the snow. "I'll meet you at the car," called Phillip and he shut the window.

Aurora hurried after Mulan and it wasn't until they were safe in the parking lot that she texted Charlotte, letting her know that it was safe to come back. Charlotte and Phillip arrived at the same time, the blonde looking mildly annoyed.

"It's a good thing I don't have Geography," she said flatly. "He probably thinks I'm a lunatic."

"Thanks for the assist," said Mulan gratefully. "He's one guy I cannot bluff."

"What made you think it was a good idea to climb out of a boy's bathroom right out into the open?" asked Aurora in bafflement.

"Well, I didn't have much option," she replied.

"We remembered that the hallways had security cameras," added Phillip. "It would look really odd if Ping entered and Mulan exited."

"I forgot to pack my casual Ping clothes," admitted Mulan. "I just had my regular ones. I didn't want to leave in full football gear, not when I've been using the change room for the past while. So I did the only thing I thought of."

"Well, I'm glad the finals are almost here," sighed Aurora. "This charade of yours is starting to get more and more out of hand."

Mulan smiled easily. "Hey, I've lasted this long."

Charlotte and Aurora exchanged glances, both of them thinking the same thing.

_Here's hoping she can last a little bit longer._


	22. Curiouser and Curiouser

**I do not own Disney anything.**

**This story is not abandoned, I promise! I'm just inconsistent with updates. After a long wait, here's the promised Alice chapter. **

**Warning: chapter contains mentions of Inattentive Type ADHD. I did some research, but if I got something wrong, please share so I can endeavor to fix it. Thanks!**

**Curiouser and Curiouser**

_Streets of gold…clouds of cotton candy…flowers that smell like the sweetest gumdrops…and the people wear socks on their hands and underwear on their heads…and there are little white rabbits that hop along with pocket watches—_

"_Alice!"_

Startled from her daydreaming, Alice Kingsleigh snapped back to reality, faced with a mildly irritated older sister. "Mathilda, good morning!" she greeted.

The twenty-year-old looked at her little sister in exasperation. "Alice, if you don't get a move on you are going to miss your bus."

"Oh, but I was having such a wonderful daydream. People were wearing socks on their hands and the clouds were cotton candy! I imagine if it rained, the rain would be strawberry milk…or perhaps sprinkles."

"You and your daydreams," said Mathilda tiredly, retrieving her sister's blue and gold backpack from the corner of the kitchen. She handed it to Alice and gave her head a slight, disapproving shake. "You really ought to stop with these silly notions. They won't take you anywhere."

"On the contrary," replied Alice, "they take me rather far." She hopped to her feet and started for the door. "See you later, or perhaps sooner."

"Goodbye, Alice. Have a productive day."

Merely nodding in response, the blonde slipped her feet into a pair of white boots and shrugged on her puffy blue coat. She kept her backpack close to her as she started down the stone pathway, spotting the yellow bus chugging down the street towards her.

"I've always liked the colour yellow," she mused to herself. "It's rather comforting to get onto a yellow school bus. I don't think I'd much like to ride a grey bus to school. That's be terribly drab and boring."

When the bus slowed to a stop, she climbed the steps and went to her usual seat, which was at the very back of the vehicle. She settled down on the vinyl seat, an empty space next to her, where she set down on her backpack.

She unzipped her large pouch and peeked inside, a smile flitting across her face at the sight of her auburn kitten snuggled contently inside. "Another day, Dinah," she whispered. "I wonder what sorts of things we'll see today."

When the bus rolled up to the curb outside of Disney Central, Alice filed off with the rest of her peers, holding her backpack carefully against her chest. She entered the front lobby and obediently showed her student card to the security guard before entering the elementary wing.

"Hey, Alice!"

Glancing over her shoulder, the blonde smiled as Izzy approached her, raven hair tied up in a loose ponytail. "Hello," she greeted.

"Did you find the answer for question ten on our science homework?" she asked, flipping through the papers in her science binder. "Jake and I were completely stumped."

Alice blinked. "I thought there was something I was forgetting…"

Not surprised by this admission, for Alice was almost completely hopeless when it came to remembering to do her schoolwork, Izzy sighed in acceptance and smiled. "Then I suppose I'm the one who can help you. We still have a few minutes before class, and there's only ten questions."

"Thank you," said Alice gratefully. "I'll just put my belongings in my locker and I'll meet in you class."

Izzy nodded and made her way to the science room. Alice hurried to her locker and quickly glanced around before yanking it open. The entire bottom of her metal space was made into a kitten hangout. A blanket covered the bottom, and there were two small bowls pushed against the back of the locker. One was filled with cat food, which she had just replaced yesterday, and the other water.

"I'll see you after class, Dinah," she whispered, gently setting her cat on the makeshift bed. "Remember to keep quiet."

She kept her lock unlatched, allowing the door to stay open a crack but not so that Dinah would be able to get out. She went to her classroom and took a seat beside Izzy, who already had her science textbook open. They got to work, but Alice only managed to just finish the fifth question when the bell rang.

"At least half of them got done," remarked Izzy.

"Half is very good," said Alice, hardly concerned with her unfinished homework. "Half is much more than nothing."

Archimedes Porter entered the classroom, briefcase tucked under one skinny arm. "Hello, children," he greeted cheerfully, setting his case down on his desk. "I do believe I have some homework to collect. Why don't you pass it along and we'll get started?"

There was the sound of shuffling as the papers were passed up to the front of the room. Accepting the wad when they reached his hands, Archimedes flipped through the lined pieces of paper, pausing when he came across a half-empty sheet. He already knew who it belonged to, without needing to look at the name scrawled neatly in the right-hand corner of the page.

Sighing softly, he set the papers in his briefcase and made a mental note to summon Alice after class. Turning to the whiteboard, he removed a blue marker and wrote the title of the day's lesson.

"Prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells," he spoke, "are the two basic types of cells. Can anyone tell me the main difference between them? Alice?"

Pausing in her idle doodling in her notebook, the blonde glanced up with a thoughtful blue gaze. "Well, I suppose one would have something the other doesn't, to make them different."

"Hey, she's not wrong," spoke Taran with a grin as the rest of the class snickered.

"It's a nucleus," piped up Izzy. "Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus."

"Correct, Miss Pratt. Prokaryotic cells don't have a nucleus—their DNA merely floats around inside…"

As he continued, Alice went back to her notebook, alternating between making short notes on the subject matter before doing some more doodling. She wondered if eukaryotic cells were upset because they did not have a nucleus.

_They shouldn't be, for it would be rather boring to be the same as its friend._

The bell rang, causing the group of seventh graders to jump up and collect their items. Alice grabbed her notebook and started for the door, halting when Archimedes called, "Miss Kingsleigh, might I see you for a moment?"

Retracting her steps, Alice stopped in front of her science teacher's desk. Archimedes rifled through his briefcase, soon emerging with her homework. "I don't suppose you could tell me why you only did the first five questions?" he asked gently.

"Oh, I'm afraid I forgot," said Alice apologetically. "I would have finished the rest at school but there simply wasn't enough time. There's never enough time in a day, honestly. Twenty-four hours is much too short to do what I'd like to do."

"Indeed," said Archimedes, unable to hide his smile. But the corners of his white mustache turned downwards as his expression shifted to serious. "Miss Kingsleigh, this is not the first time you've failed to turn your homework in this semester. If you continue as you are, you'll have to take summer school in order to catch up."

The smile on Alice's face dimmed. Summer was not a time for school, oh no. It was time for exploring and playing. "Oh, I won't have to take summer school. I'll do my homework next time, I promise."

"I know you will." Sliding her unfinished homework across the desk, Archimedes said with a wink, "I don't think I'll get to marking this tonight. You can finish it and hand it in to me tomorrow morning. Sometimes we can make more time if we need it, eh?"

Grinning widely, she said, "Absolutely! Thank you!"

Alice took her homework and slipped it into her notebook. She waved to the short science professor and made her way into the hall. She started to veer around the corner, but came to a stop when she heard her name being mentioned by her classmates.

"—what do you think Professor Porter wanted to see Alice?" asked a voice, one that she recognized as Taran.

"She didn't finish her homework," spoke Eilonwy. "I saw Izzy trying to help her, but I guess they didn't get too far."

"I think she's beyond help."

"Taran! That's rude!"

"Aw, come on, you know how she can't pay attention. She always goes to her weird worlds."

_Weird? _

"She certainly has an imagination," said Eilonwy carefully. "What was she talking about last week? Some odd caterpillar?"

"Oh yeah," laughed Taran. "The blue caterpillar who spoke in riddles and could blow different coloured smoke rings."

"I wonder where she comes up with this stuff," said Eilonwy in bemusement. "It's all rather odd."

"Well, Alice is odd."

The warning bell rang, signaling that there was three minutes left to get to class. Taran and his best friend hastily hurried off down the hall and after a moment Alice slowly rounded the corner. She shuffled towards her locker, book clutched to her chest, eyes burning slightly.

_Odd? Weird?_

She didn't think her stories or daydreams were either of those things. She thought they were interesting. She thought her friends liked hearing of her imaginative worlds. Her heart fell as she remembered the way they snickered at her in class, as they always seemed to do whenever she answered a question.

Sinking down to her knees in front of her locker, Alice opened the metal door and found Dinah playing with a few loose strands of the blanket. She reached inside and cuddled the kitten to her chest. "You don't think I'm weird, do you?" she asked softly, running her fingers through silky auburn fur. "You don't laugh at what I have to say."

Dinah looked at her with bright eyes, mewling contently. Alice reached up to rub at her wet eyes, wondering just how long her peers had been laughing at her behind her back. She gave her cat a hug before setting her back on the blanket.

"I have to go to class. Be good."

Grabbing her books, Alice quickly shut her locker door and hurried off to her math classroom. She ducked her head as she passed by Taran and Eilonwy, settling in her usual seat near the wall. The final bell rang only a moment later and Bagheera stood up from his chair.

"Put your books away," he instructed. "We're having a pop quiz."

A chorus of groans erupted at this, followed by reluctant kids shoving their note-laden papers out of sight. Bagheera moved around the room, handing out the worksheets and Alice's face fell at the fractions that seemed to swirl before her eyes.

"You'll have fifteen minutes. No talking."

Pencils immediately began scratching against the paper. Alice tried to remember what came first when dividing and multiplying fractions and started writing, biting down on her lip as she struggled through question after question.

It was strange, how fifteen minutes could seem like hours. She had thought there was not enough time in the world, and most days there wasn't. Yet there were days that felt like they went on forever. It didn't make much sense—not that she minded. Things that didn't make sense were rather interesting.

Unlike math, which made much too much sense that it was confusing (and boring).

…

The bell finally rang, causing Alice to let out a sigh of relief. Math did not get much better after the pop quiz and all she could think about was what Taran and Eilonwy had said. She didn't understand why they thought she was weird. Was that a bad thing?

Lost in thought, she nearly jumped when Bagheera summoned her in a sharp tone. Nervous, she shuffled up to him as the rest of her peers left for lunch.

"Yes?" she questioned.

"I've taken just one look at your quiz, and I can tell most of your answers are incorrect," said Bagheera with a frown. "Did you not practice?"

"I did, and then I…" she trailed off, sudden embarrassment coursing through her at the familiar excuse.

"You forgot," finished Bagheera in irritation. "Miss Kingsleigh, if you do not do the work you are assigned, you won't get the practice you need. If you need help, there is tutoring available."

"I think I'm beyond help, Professor."

The words left her before she really thought about them and she didn't register the surprise that crossed the Indian American's face. She was beginning to think that perhaps Taran was right. She was always forgetting things and couldn't seem to pay proper attention.

When Bagheera recovered from the shock of hearing the pessimistic words coming from the ever-optimistic girl, he said sternly, "Miss Kingsleigh, you are not to speak that about yourself again. You've done well in my class. A few bad days mean you have to learn from your mistakes and try a little harder. If you start to feel overwhelmed, Mr. Cricket will be more than happy to see you."

"Yes, sir. I know."

Bagheera dismissed her and he watched the blonde girl scurry from his room. A severe frown dominated his features as he wondered just where she had gotten such a ludicrous notion from.

…

All despairing and uncertain thoughts fled Alice's mind when she noticed that her locker door was wide open, her combination lock resting on the floor. Eyes tripling in size, Alice rushed over and frantically peered inside her space. Dinah was nowhere in sight. She must have managed to bat off the lock or maybe she had forgotten to secure the door in the first place.

"Oh, no!" she said in dismay. Shoving her books on the shelf, she hastily closed the metal door and rushed down the hall, ready to search the whole school for her elusive pet. She did not need to go far, as a hand settled firmly on her shoulder.

"Miss Kingsleigh."

The angered voice caused Alice to flinch and she turned to see her principal holding Dinah with one arm. Her cat was attempting to paw at the man's silver hook, which gleamed under the lights. "Dinah!" she exclaimed in relief.

"You have been warned, girl, time and time again about bringing pets into this school," snapped Hook. "Your constant disobedience is grating on my nerves."

"I'm sorry. She gets lonely when I'm not home."

"She won't be so lonely this afternoon. I'm sending you home. One more infraction, Miss Kingsleigh, and its expulsion. This has gone on for far too long."

The words ringing in her ears, Alice could only nod in response. The tears returned with a vengeance and she accepted Dinah into her embrace when Hook handed her over.

"Get your belongings," said Hook curtly. "I will call your mother. When you are ready, wait in the office."

He strode away, leaving Alice to stand in the middle of the hall. Scrubbing at her cheeks, she went back to her locker, gathered up her backpack and books, and left.

…

_The Spinning Teacup _was a colourful tea room located on the outskirts of Disneyville. It was a place Alice had visited when she was very little and it had been her absolute favourite ever since. She did not get to go often during the fall and winter season, but she frequented the establishment during spring and summer.

Walking through the wide glass doors with golden spoons for handles, Alice dusted the snow off of her jacket. Heat washed over her, warming her numb fingers and nose. She started down the green, blue and red speckled carpet, heading for her favourite table.

The floor space of _The Spinning Teacup _was filled with mismatch tables and chairs. Some tables were wooden, some were plastic. They were rectangular, circular and L-shaped. All were covered with long white tablecloths and silver cutlery. Pink, green, blue, red and yellow plates and cups were stacked haphazardly on many of the tables. There were wooden chairs, velvet chairs, chintz chairs and benches. Everything was out of place, yet it all fit well together.

The walls were covered with red rose wallpaper and there were large bay windows on either side of the restaurant, letting in streams of golden light. At the back was an open marble counter, where various pastries were displayed in glass cases. Lining the shelves were all kinds of teas in coloured packets and there were seven different kettles that were always whistling.

But what Alice loved most about the décor was the namesake of the restaurant—the spinning teacups. Hanging from the ceiling were metal tracks that wound all over the restaurant. Whizzing across the track were vintage porcelain tea cups mounted on matching dishes, zooming from end of the establishment to the next in a never ending race.

"Here we are Dinah," whispered Alice, sinking down in a green chintz chair near the window. She untucked the kitten from her coat and set her in her lap. "Cats are very welcome here."

"Would you like a little more tea?"

Glancing up, a small smile wound across Alice's lips. "Well, I haven't had any yet, so I very well can't take more."

March Hare thought over the girl's words before deciding, "You mean you can't very well take less."

"Yes," agreed Madden 'Mad' Hatter. "You can always take more than nothing."

The two men were business partners, having opened _The Spinning Teacup _years ago. They were as odd as the décor of their establishment and Alice liked them very much.

Mad Hatter always wore a long mustard-coloured jacket and tall green hat, which exposed tufts of his white hair. He wore a different bowtie every day, and today it was turquoise. Stuck in the dark green band of his hat was a piece of paper that read 10/6. March Hare wore similar clothing, his jacket burgundy and bowtie orange. He didn't wear a hat, because he claimed no hat fit over his long ears which had a tendency to twitch.

"What can we get you, my dear?" asked Hatter cheerfully.

Thinking for a moment, Alice answered, "Ginkgo biloba, please."

"That's a sad tea," said Hatter gravely.

"A sad tea?"

"People drink it when they're sad. I noticed you had a bit of a long face when you walked in."

"Her face looked fine to me," piped up March Hare.

Alice giggled at that. "I suppose I'm a little upset. I got in trouble at school today." She stroked Dinah's fur. "Principal Hook was mad I brought Dinah with me."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Hatter. "Cats want to learn too."

"He doesn't agree," said Alice with a sigh.

"March, bring the girl some tea! And chocolate biscuits! No, give her the birthday special!"

Alice said in bemusement, "But it's not my birthday."

"But it's your unbirthday," countered March Hare. "Don't you tell us we can't celebrate your unbirthday."

Soon the blonde was given a pot of her desired tea, a big plate of chocolate biscuits and a towering stack of pancakes, loaded with sprinkles, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Pancakes were not on the menu and only made when it was someone's birthday (or unbirthday, apparently).

She felt a bit better after she finished and went up to the counter to pay. But March Hare refused her money, shooing her away. "No, you don't pay on your unbirthday!"

"But tomorrow is my unbirthday too," reasoned Alice. "So does that mean I shouldn't pay if I come back tomorrow?"

"Wise girl, we have a wise girl!" called March Hare, swatting at the girl with a tea towel.

"You're too nice to do that," dismissed Hatter. "But don't go spreading this 'unbirthday' business around. It's a secret!"

Alice laughed. "Oh, all right. If you say so. Do you have a riddle for me?"

She loved riddles and it became a trend where every time she visited, one of the men would give her a riddle for the day.

"Do I have a riddle for her, she says?" scoffed Hatter. "Just who do you think I am? Of course I do! This one's a doozy. Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Puzzled, Alice considered that for a moment before saying, "Hmm…that is a doozy! I'll have to think about it! Thank you very much for a great unbirthday."

"Don't be put down by the system!" shouted March Hare as the girl departed. "Stick it to them!"

Elbowing his co-worker sharply in the side, Hatter hastened, "Wait until you're a little older to stick it to them!"

…

The following morning, Alice arrived at school early courtesy of her sister. She slowly approached the guidance counsellors' office, feet heavy. She was not meant to have an appointment today, but her mother had insisted on it.

When she had arrived home last night from _The Spinning Teacup _her mother had been furious. Not only was she angry that she once again brought her cat to school, but she was angry that Alice had not waited like she was told to.

"But he didn't tell me to wait in the office," she had said, confused. "He just said he was sending me home."

"Once again, you weren't listening," her mother had responded in irritation. "Alice, if you're going to overcome your Inattentive ADHD, you're going to have to _try. _Going off in your silly little daydreams isn't going to improve your performance in school or life."

So here she was, hovering outside the door, knowing Jiminy Cricket was waiting for her. She'd been working with Jiminy since first grade when she was diagnosed with Inattentive Type ADHD and she had a great deal of admiration and respect for the man.

She didn't normally worry about her ADHD, but today was different. She feared she wasn't making progress and yet she feared that her daydreams, which meant everything to her, would slowly start to disappear. But she was also starting to think that maybe if she didn't have so many vivid daydreams and wasn't always up in the clouds, her peers wouldn't see her as odd.

"Everything was so much simpler when I thought everyone liked me," she said with sigh. "I wonder why I care so much what people think."

But she did and now she was conflicted and confused. Not wanting to delay any longer, she pushed open the door, greeted the secretary and made her way to Jiminy's office.

The bald, thin man glanced up when she stepped inside and smiled brightly. "Hello, Alice. Come right in. How are you today?"

The blonde shuffled into the room and settled into the plush chair situated before Jiminy's oak desk. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly, pulling at the hem of her light blue sweater. "I think I'm in trouble."

"You're not in trouble," soothed Jiminy. "You're here so we can talk about how you've been doing. I hear you had a hard day yesterday."

"It wasn't hard," she said thoughtfully. "It was more discombobulating."

Amused, Jiminy removed a clean sheet of green-speckled stationary from his drawer and began to take notes. "What was so discombobulating about it, then?"

"I had forgotten to do my homework for Professor Porter and I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do when multiplying fractions, so I did poorly on the quiz."

"Have you been checking your to-do lists?"

Alice bit on her bottom lip. As part of her therapy, there were certain tasks she had to do regularly to help her practice keeping focus. One of those tasks was keeping small to-do lists around the house so she wouldn't forget what she needed to do. Her sister wrote each homework assignment and chore on bright blue pieces of paper.

"I do look at them, but when I start to do what I'm meant to, I then think of something I oughtn't to do. The thing I shouldn't be doing is always much more fun, so I do it instead. I don't mean to forget about my homework."

"I know you don't. But those lists are to help you focus on what you should be doing, and it's important you stick with it. Remember what I said about doing little bits at a time? You don't have to do it all in one go. You can do one homework sheet and then take a break."

Alice gave off a nod. "Yes, Mr. Cricket."

"I'll have your mother review your lists and assignment schedule. Exams are coming up, so you'll have to spend a bit of time each day studying. I'll create a plan so you know which subject you should be studying and for how long." Jiminy made a note for himself and then took a peek in Alice's file, which rested on the surface of his desk. "Professor Bagheera told me something concerning yesterday. Do you think you can tell me what that might be?"

"I said I think I'm beyond help," said Alice reluctantly.

"Alice, you're not beyond help. Not in the slightest. I don't think you've ever expressed such a concern before. What brought it on?"

"Well…I suppose I might have heard it from someone, who I'm sure didn't mean for me to hear it."

"Ah." Understanding, Jiminy regarded her with seriousness. "You should not worry about what people think of you, Alice. You should worry about what you think of yourself."

Surprised for a moment, Alice thought that this was very good advice. "I suppose I'm frustrated for being so forgetful. I don't mean to be."

"It's merely an obstacle you'll overcome," said Jiminy confidently. "There are plenty of people with Inattentive ADHD who are going through or have gone through the same treatment you're doing now. You're a fine girl, and very creative at that. If you find yourself overwhelmed, you come see me immediately. My door is always open."

"I know." Alice smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Cricket."

"Of course, dear. Now, before we talk about your goals for the week, we really need to talk about your habit of bringing Dinah to school."

…

Alice was feeling a little lighter after her session with Jiminy. She had never really been embarrassed about her diagnosis, though Taran's comment had caused her doubt that she would improve. But while she no longer had concerns over what people thought about her, there was still one thing that puzzled her.

She pondered it during her favourite class, which was English. She stared at the blank paper in front of her as her classmates scribbled away. She never had problems with creative writing, but now she was a little hesitant. She could the story in her mind, about white rabbits with golden pocket watches and talking flowers.

Alice thought about Eilonwy calling her odd. It didn't bother her now, but she was confused. What made her odd? What was odd or weird, anyway? What was so odd about blue caterpillars and tardy rabbits? She thought they were fascinating.

The bell rang, startling her from her deep musing. Her classmates departed and Alice stared to follow them when a call of "Miss Kingsleigh," halted her.

"Yes, Professor?"

Cheshire Stripes was Alice's absolutely favourite teacher. He had a tendency to talk in riddles and never raised his voice. When she got high in grades and the picture books turned into chapter books, she had been annoyed.

"What's the use of a book without pictures?" she had asked disdainfully.

Cheshire seemed delighted by the question and had answered coyly in turn, "Well now, it's much more fun to create your own pictures then to have them made for you, isn't it?"

He had been right, and Alice loved reading chapter books much more than the ones with bright pictures. English was her best subject and the one class she didn't have much trouble completing her work in. So she was slightly confused as to why he would want to see her.

"You have so many words in that brain of yours, yet today not a single one made it on paper." The plump man leaned against his desk, yellow eyes gleaming and dark purple hair tousled every which-way. "How odd."

"Well, that's the very thing," explained Alice. "My classmates think I'm odd. I don't mind, but I don't really understand. I don't think I'm odd."

"Oh, but you are."

Blue eyes wide, Alice asked, "I am?"

"Of course. You're an oddity. Do you want to know something else?"

"What?"

"That's normal."

"Being odd is normal," said Alice slowly, brow furrowing.

"On the contrary, there's no such thing as normal."

Exasperated, the blonde said, "But you just said being odd was normal."

"What do you think normal is?"

Alice thought for a moment, realizing that she really didn't know what constituted as normal. "I don't suppose I know," she said honestly.

"You don't know because it doesn't exist. You certainly won't find it in this place." Wiggling his bushy eyebrows, Cheshire said, "We're all mad here."

A bright smile crossed Alice's face. They were all odd, in their own little ways. How could there be such a thing as normal when they were all so different? "Exaketededly," she said cheerfully.

"Glad that's all cleared up. I expect a story about croquet with flamingoes as mallets and hedgehogs as balls."

"Well, I was going to write about white rabbits with pocket watches and talking flowers," said Alice musingly. "But croquet with flamingoes and hedgehogs…"

A wide smile curled across Cheshire's face, baring straight white teeth. "White rabbits, eh? I look forward to reading it."

Alice giggled and departed with a grateful wave. In the hallway she nearly collided with Taran and Eilonwy, who regarded her with contrite expressions.

"Hey, Alice. We…uh…" Taran shuffled his feet awkwardly and winced when his best friend elbowed him in the side. "We overheard you talking with Professor Cheshire. When you said someone called you odd…"

"You meant us, didn't you?" asked Eilonwy mournfully.

"Yes, but it's quite all right," assured Alice. "I was upset at first, but then I realized that I didn't mind."

"No, it's not all right," said Taran insistently. "When I said you were beyond help, it wasn't a crack at your ADHD or anything. I don't really know what I meant by it. All I know is that it was mean and I shouldn't have said it at all. I don't understand your stories sometimes, but I shouldn't have called them weird or odd."

"They're vivid and fantastic," said Eilonwy sincerely.

"You mean you don't mind hearing them?"

"Not at all," said Taran strongly. "I think it's cool how you come up with nonsense worlds. I couldn't do it in a million years."

"I like nonsense," said Alice with a smile. "It's much more fun than regular sense."

"Are you mad at us?" asked Eilonwy hesitantly.

"No, of course not. I'm just glad you like me."

"Of course we like you. You're our friend. We're the terrible ones for talking about you behind your back," said Taran regretfully.

"I forgive you," said Alice. "After all, nobody is perfect. It'd be terribly boring if that were the case. Besides, how can you learn if you don't make mistakes?"

"Thanks Alice," said Eilonwy gratefully, linking arms with the girl. "Do you think you could tell us about your story for our creative writing assignment?"

"Yeah, and help me come up with some ideas?" piped up Taran, falling into step beside the two female as they headed for their next class. "I'm hopeless with this stuff."

"Hmm…well, you could always write about why a raven is like a writing desk. I'd love to know myself."


End file.
